Shadow Tail
by moonlitraven14
Summary: When Clary, Jace, and the rest of the Shadowhunter crew finds themselves in an alternative dimension, can the wizards of Fairy Tail help them get back home?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"Hurry up you two, or by the Angel we will leave you behind!" Isabelle shouted, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

It was a brisk autumn day in Manhattan, the cool wind bringing much needed relief from the warm sun beating down. Clary sat on a bench in the back of the Institute, watching the branches of the trees dance in the breeze. Occasionally a leaf would be torn from its place and she would watch its slow descent. She could hear shouting from behind her, possibly Jace and Alec yelling back at Isabelle, and the clanking of metal from the weapons room.

 _It's their fault for deciding to go to Taki's for breakfast instead of getting ready to go_ , she sighed, getting up and walking over Isabelle, whose posture clearly stated that she was pissed off.

"By the Angel, those two. Couldn't they be ready for once," sighed Isabelle, shaking her head. Both girls were dressed in black combat gear, several seraph blades strapped to their backs and belts. They both were coated in pre-drawn runes, their steles tucked away in their boots for future use. Isabelle's golden whip was curled bracelet-style around her wrist and her red pendant necklace hung in its usual place.

The sound of crushed leaves caused both girls to spin around, weapons drawn, ready to maim and kill. "Whoa, whoa. No need to get hostile," said a boy with slightly long brown hair, his arms up in defense and eyes slightly widened.

"By the Angel, Simon. Announce yourself next time," Clary laughed, putting her sword away.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Isabelle questioned, sliding her weapons away too.

Simon held out his phone towards the girls. "Magnus messaged me last night." The girls craned their necks to read the text:

 _Hello, Simon_

 _I would like you to join the others on their mission. I think you could be useful for them. Meet them at the Institute tomorrow at 10am._

 _-Magnus_

 _P.S. Tell Alec I said hello ;)_

"Ugh, those two," Isabelle said, gesturing a throwing up motion.

"I know. Couldn't he have sent that to Alec himself?" Simon sighed, sliding his phone back in his jean pocket. As he did so, his slightly overgrown bangs were lifted in the breeze, letting Clary see the Mark of Caine that she had put on him. _Well, if worse comes to worse…_

The back door of the Institute swung open with a creak, breaking her out of her thought. Jace and Alec were chatting as they strolled out, decked out in their gear. The way that the sun shone off of Jace's hair, giving it a golden-halo look that portrayed him like some sort of fallen angel… _Focus, Clare! Keep it together_ , she thought, hoping that the red rising in her face wasn't too visible.

As the two boys approached the group, Jace raised an eyebrow in Simon's direction. "Magnus asked him to come," was all Isabelle said.

And all she needed to say. Jace just shrugged and turned to start drawing runes on his _parabatai_. Clary walked over to the wall, pulled out her phone and sent Magnus a message:

 _Ready on our end._

Then she set to work. Pulling out her stele, she began to trace a portal on the wall, the runes lighting up with each stroke. When she finished, she tucked her stele away and called the others over.

Once everyone was gathered around the portal, Jace quickly recalled the mission: go through the portal to where Magnus is waiting and assist another group of Shadowhunters with clearing out a demon nest. Everyone nodded, and Jace stepped into the portal.

One by one, they walked in-Alec, Isabelle, Simon- until all that was left was Clary. Just as she was about to head in, a sort of rune flashed into her mind: a sort of bird-looking creature with multiple feathers stretching from it. The last feather had a sort of arrow point that curved, ran along the bottom and ended with another point at the front.

 _It's the same rune from the dream I had last night_ , she pondered. Shaking her head, she turned her focus to the task at hand. With that mysterious rune nagging in the back of her mind, Clary stepped into the portal and tumbled through empty space.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Hmmmm…." Lucy said, musing over the request board.

It was just another normal day at the Fairy Tail guild. If you consider this guild normal. A huge brawl had just broken out a couple of minutes ago in the guild hall, and as usual, Natsu and Gray were behind it. It seemed that everyone was getting involved, bringing the fight to a new catatonic level. Luckily, Master was there and ended the fight just minutes after it began.

Now, Natsu and Happy were standing next to her and Nab at the request board, looking for a job to do.

 _I need to find a nice paying job. I have rent to pay soon_ , she kept thinking as she scanned the board.

"How about this one?" Happy asked, holding up a flyer.

"Says her that they need some wizards to come and help clear out some Vulcans that had stormed their village," Natsu read.

"Sounds like fun," said a voice from behind. Lucy turned to see Erza, Gray, Wendy and Carla walking up to them. Erza smiled," I could use an easy challenge right now."

"Alright, then. Let's do it!" Natsu shouted.

"Aye!" Happy replied.

After informing Mirajane of the job they took, the group went on their way. It was a nice clear day in Magnolia, not a cloud in sight. The town was bustling with activity: townspeople walking and eating in the outdoor cafés, children playing in the streets, vendors shouting their wares.

The group was in high spirits, despite the fact that Natsu and Gray were arguing with each other and Erza occasionally shooting daggered looks at them. So, basically the same old routine.

All of a sudden, the world around them became darker. Lucy looked around in confusion, seeing her companions in the same state. Finally, she looked up and gasped. What once were clear skies were now filled with festering dark storm clouds. The sound of thunder boomed above them, causing Wendy and the Exceeds to cover their ears.

Several streaks of lightning split across the sky, sending the world into a swirl of light and darkness. The sounds were bombarding and the light burned their eyes.

But, just as suddenly as it began, it ended. One minute there was chaos, the next, calm. Before anyone could say a word, a huge boom came from the direction of the East Forest, causing the birds to take off in a hurry.

"What the hell was that?" Natsu asked, speaking the question they were all thinking.

"I don't know, but I think we should go investigate the forest. We might get some answers there," Erza stated, and then she ran in the direction of the mysterious sound.

No questions or words were needed to be asked or said. The others quickly caught up with Erza and they all took off to the forest.

X

Clary opened her eyes just in time to see the ground rapidly approaching her. She tucked her head to her knees and hit the ground in a roll, flying forward several feet before finally skidding to a stop. With a grunt of pain, she slowly sat up, grabbed her stele and began to draw an _iratze_ on her throbbing limbs.

 **Boom**

Clary turned to see a tree shaking, the once perched birds taking off in a flurry. She watched as a shape rose from the dust and splinters, shaking his slightly overgrown hair to rid it of the debris…

"Simon!" she shouted, rushing over to her friend.

"Ugh…" Simon groaned, standing on unsteady feet. "I have had better landings."

"I know…" she laughed.

"Hey! You guys alright?" called a voice from behind them. The duo spun around to see Jace, Isabelle, and Alec running towards them. Everyone seemed okay, although Alec and Isabelle have _iratzes_ drawn on their bodies as well.

"Now that we're all reunited, can someone tell me where we are and where Magnus is?" Jace asked, looking around.

They all took in their surroundings, confused. They were surrounded by forest, the sounds of creatures filling the air. There was no one in sight, not even flamboyant Magnus.

"Maybe we got dropped in the wrong place…" Simon inquired.

"That's not possible. For a portal to work, it must be open on both sides. If this were true, then we would've come out to where Magnus had the other side open," Clary objected.

"Then where is he? Huh?!" Alec snapped, an edge in his voice.

"Alec! There is no need to be rude," Isabelle cried, punching him in the arm. She sighed, "But he does have a point. If Magnus was here, then there would've been no reason for our freefall."

"I agree with Izzy. After all-" Jace started, but he was cut off at the sound of heavy footfall coming from the trees.

Everyone automatically got into their fighting stances: Jace and Clary with seraph blades in hand, Isabelle with her whip uncurled, and Alec with an arrow nocked. Simon was the only one unarmed, but he crouched and bared his fangs. _He also has the Mark, so he should be fine_ , Clary thought.

The trees shook and the ground vibrated slightly as the steps got closer. _Whatever is causing this, it must be huge. Maybe a hellhound or a hydra. I've never seen either but it sure seems like one. I just hope it's not a Greater Demon_ , Clary thought, her mind whirling at the multiple possibilities of demons that could be drawing near.

Suddenly, the noise stopped. The world held its breath, waiting for the darkness to strike. Everyone stuck close, forming a pentagon-shaped defense to keep in eye in all directions. A branch snapped.

"Move!" Jace yelled, and everyone dove forward as the ground they once stood on exploded. Dirt and rocks flew in all directions, and the air filled with dust. Clary, back on her feet, turned to see what she could only describe as the strangest-looking demon she has ever seen.

The demon was twice the height of Jace, with an ape-like body and a long face. The creature's face was rectangular-shaped with a long chin, long, pointy ears and the top ending in a sharp point. The eyes were solid white that seemed to give off a sort of eerie glow. The oddest part, however, was its color. The body was covered in green fur, with a darker green covering the legs. Its face, chest, hands, and feet were purple, and five pink hearts ran down the sides of its arms.

"What kind of demon is that?!" Simon hollered, obviously thrown off by its appearance.

"I don't know. It's not one from the Codex," Alec replied, puzzled.

"Whatever it is, it's mine!" Jace shouted, rushing the creature. The thing roared in anger and threw a punch, which Jace easily sidestepped. "Cassiel!" he called, the seraph blade in his hand blazing to life. He swung Cassiel across the creature's chest, only leaving a shallow gash. Instead of it disappearing, it roared in fury and threw another fist. Jace sidestepped it again, but was clipped in the side, flinging him back a couple of feet.

"Jace!" Clary cried, getting ready to run over. However, Jace held his hand up, showing that he was fine, and got back into his fighting stance.

"It's tougher than it looks. This should be fun," Jace proclaimed, a wild grin on his face and flames dancing in his eyes.

"Hate to put a damper on your mood, but we have company," Isabelle stated, and Clary finally saw what she meant.

Six more of those things had suddenly appeared from the trees, surrounding them. Each one of them had their mouth pulled back into a sneer, their eyes glowing as they set sights on their prey.

"Now this," Jace gestured, "is a party!" And he went back after his target.

The other creatures roared their battle cry, and charged. No questions needed; each teen picked their opponent. Clary raised her blade and whispered, "Sachiel." As the blade lit up, she raced to meet her rival and the battle began.

X

The Fairy Tail wizards had just reached the outskirts of the East Forest when they heard a vicious roar from inside that practically shook the trees.

"Was that…?" Gray started.

"I believe so." Erza answered.

"We better hurry," Lucy said and the group took off into the forest.

X

The battle lasted approximately 2 minutes.

Clary had slid under the creature's legs, thanking her small height, sprung up and slashed it across the back. Just as Jace said, they were tough. She dove to the right as a fist came for her head and went back for more. As this dance of slashing and diving continued, she looked over at how the others were faring.

Isabelle was a blur of black, using her whip to attack her opponent. Alec was stationary, spinning around and shooting whenever his adversary got too close.

Jace was having a blast, whooping and hollering and laughing that crazy deranged laugh he always does when he fights. He was finally able to take out his first one and was on for seconds. He attacked with furiosity, spinning, diving, slashing and provoking.

However, the most interesting fight was Simon's. He somehow got two of those things after him, and was speeding through them, baring his fangs, daring them to attack. He was able to avoid most of their attacks, but luck soon ran out. For the creature, at least. One of them landed a well-placed blow square in his stomach, but it didn't have enough time to celebrate. The ginormous being flew back, destroying several trees before finally stopping five yards away, obviously dead.

That seemed to snap the others to their senses. Seeing their dead comrades and being injured themselves, they cried out and retreated into the forest.

The teens gathered back together, preparing for a second wave, but after several minutes of silence, they knew it was over. Victory was theirs.

X

The Fairy Tail group was running through the forest when they were a terrible crash come from a distance in front of them.

"What the hell was that?" Natsu asked.

"I don't know," Wendy answered.

"Everyone split up. Whoever finds something, yell for the other to join them," Erza said. Everyone broke off in groups and raced off in different directions, trying to find the source of all of this craziness.

X

"What were those things?" Clary breathed, already drawing on _iratzes_ and stamina runes on herself and the others. It had been a while since those creatures had withdrawn, and the Shadowhunters were now discussing the events of the past few minutes. Jace was wiping the blood of his seraph blade on the grass, obviously lost in thought.

"I don't know. We never learned about those in demonology," Alec admitted, meticulously cleaning his arrows, checking for wear and tear. Once he was satisfied, he slid it back in his quiver and grabbed another one.

Isabelle was on a log, tinkering with her pendant. "It's strange. If they were demons, I would've felt my necklace pulsing like it always does."

"Also, take a look at it," Jace said, nodding his head to the slain creature lying a few feet away. "They can't be demons. They bleed red blood, not inchor. Next, when it died, it didn't disappear like demons always do."

"True…" Isabelle mused.

"Plus, they have some intelligence. Sneaking up, attacking us a group, assessing the situation and retreating instead of sticking around to die. Demons would never do that."

"You have a point," Simon sighed. He glanced over at the one he killed, but hastily looked away, ashamed.

"Is there any way to get in touch with Magnus?" Alec asked, having finished his previous task.

Simon pulled out his cell phone to check. He sighed, "There's no service," and slid it back into his pocket.

"Great. So we're stuck. What's our next move?" Isabelle groaned, stretching across the log.

"Hey guys! I think I found something!" boomed a voice from the trees.

All of them were on their feet and back in fighting stance, ready to take on whatever was advancing towards them.

X

Lucy was walking with Wendy and Carla, making their way through the thick of the trees. After several minutes of searching, to no avail on their end, they heard something.

"Hey guys! I think I found something!"

"That was Natsu-san," Wendy said.

"Let's go find him," Lucy responded, and they ran off to find him.

They eventually found Natsu and Happy standing by some trees. The two of them seemed to be gazing into some sort of clearing.

"Natsu. What did you find?" they asked, but the dragon slayer didn't budge.

"Natsu? Happy?" they queried, confused by their silence.

"Lucy! Wendy! What happened? What's going on?" Gray called from behind, he and Erza approaching the girls and frozen duo.

"I don't know. I think they're looking at something-" Lucy started, turning to see what could possibly stun them… and stopped cold.

They were at the edge of a clearing that was completely surrounded by trees. The first thing she noticed was the dead creature lying in the middle of the clearing, drowned in a dark red pool.

 _Oh my God, it's a Forest Vulcan_ , she realized, now just as stunned as everyone else. She shifted her eyes from the dead Vulcan to find the second most shocking thing in the field: the group of people staring back at them.

There were five total, 2 girls and 3 boys dressed in all black: a tall boy with golden hair, a petite girl with curly red hair, a tall, slender girl with long raven-colored hair and dark blue eyes, a boy that had similar features as the raven girl (siblings, possibly), and a lanky boy with slightly overgrown brown hair. The all looked to be between 16 and 18 years of age. They were standing in a pentagon shape defense

with some bizarre weapons in hand: light swords, a thin sort of whip, and a bow. The brown haired boy was unarmed, but he stood there with his hands fisted, ready to fight if he needed to. But the most eccentric thing about them was that four of them were covered in strange symbols.

 _What are those symbols? Is that their guild?_

The boy with the gold hair cleared his throat, snapping Lucy and everyone back to reality. It was only then she noticed that their weapons were pointed at them.

"Not to be cliché here or anything, but whom the hell are you guys?" the golden boy inquired, curiosity and suspicion burning in his eyes.

Erza, not one to miss a beat, returned, "First, lower your weapons. We are unarmed, so there is no reason for violent showings." _With is a total lie because we can use magic_.

The golden boy smiled coyly, slowly sliding his swords away.

"Jace, are you sure?" asked the petite redhead.

"Don't worry guys. I don't see any killing intent in their eyes or postures, so we can trust them for now," the golden boy-Jace-replied. Slowly, one by one, they each followed his lead, leaving all of them empty-handed but able to spring into action at any given second.

"Now back to the question at hand…" the raven girl said, her arms crossed and hip jutted to the side. She tilted her head slightly to the side, as if waiting for an answer.

"Well-"

"What the hell?! How is there a dead Vulcan? Did you do that?" Natsu shouted, cutting off Erza and gesturing wildly to the dead creature in the clearing.

"Is that what they're called? Interesting," the black haired boy mused.

"If you're asking if we killed it, then yes. I did." Jace responded, glancing over at the slain Vulcan a few feet away.

"Two, actually. I killed the second one," the brown haired boy added, pointing to a spot behind him. Only then did the wizards notice the other dead Vulcan lying in a heap yards away, a path of ripped up and destroyed trees leading to it. Everyone was stunned. Two dead Vulcans. How is that even possible? I mean, they've fought Vulcans before, but they've never killed them. "In our defense, we were in battle. It was kill or be killed."

"Just who are you people?" Wendy questioned anxiously.

"Shadowhunters. And the looks of it, you guys don't seem to be the group we were trying to meet up with," the black haired boy scoffed.

"Alec," the raven girl snapped, eyeing the boy with a sharp look.

"Anyway, do you know how to get back to Manhattan? At most we should at least return home and try to contact Magnus there," the petite girl asked.

"Manhattan? What's that?" Lucy queried, confused. _Shadowhunters? Manhattan? Magnus? What is she talking about?_

"You know, Manhattan. New York. The Big Apple," the girl pushed, trying desperately to get answers, but all she received were blank stares.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. This is the town Magnolia in the Kingdom Fiore," Gray said.

"By the Angel, Clary. Where did you portal us to?" Jace said, shaking his head.

"By your guys' questions, you're obviously not from around here, are you?" Natsu stated.

"Correct," the raven girl replied.

"Well, I don't know how much help we can be, but why don't you guys come back to the guild with us?" Erza suggested. "Maybe Master can answer some of your questions."

"Guild? What's a guild?" the brown haired boy asked.

"A guild is a gathering place for wizards to join and also take jobs. We're in the guild Fairy Tail," Erza said, showing off her guild symbol. The teens looked confused; however, the redhead-Clary- was staring at it bug-eyed. _Weird_ , Lucy quickly thought.

"Wait. Did you say _wizards_?! As in, you can use magic?" Jace inquired, a spark igniting in his golden eyes.

"Yeah. Like this," Natsu said, igniting his fist into an inferno. The group seemed astonished, their mouths gaping open.

"That's awesome!" the brown haired boy cried.

"Anyway, if it's no problem, we would like to take upon your invitation to talk to this 'Master' of yours," Alec said, a note of maturity in his voice.

"Of course. By the way, my name is Erza, and this is Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Wendy, Happy, and Carla," Erza said, gesturing to each of the wizards.

"Are those cats?" asked Clary.

"Aye! And we can talk and fly, too," Happy said. To demonstrate, both Exceeds flew around for a bit before finally resting on the shoulders of their appropriate dragon slayer.

"Flying, talking cats. Now I've seen everything," Jace laughed. "I'm Jace, and this is Clary, Alec, his sister Isabelle, and Simon. Now that introductions are done with, let's go get some answers."


	3. Chapter 2

**Hi everyone, I haven't been able to talk to you yet, but I'm new here, so I'm still learning. My name is moonlitraven14 and this is my story, Shadow Tail! I would like to thank the people who are following my story, I love writing this and I'm glad you all enjoy it too. This story is posted every Tuesday, so without further ado, here is Chapter 2 of Shadow Tail.**

X

 **Chapter 2**

 _It's that rune from my dream_ , Clary thought, the only thing going through her head since the armored girl-Erza- showed it off to them.

 _What does this mean? Why did I see that rune before meeting these people? What does it do?_

"Was it the reason we're in this mess to begin with?" Clary muttered, lost in thought.

"Did you say something?" Simon asked, seeing her puzzled expression.

"No. It's not important," she replied, turning to occupy her thoughts somewhere else.

"The town up ahead is Magnolia. That's where our guild is located," called Erza from up ahead, and the two raced forward to meet the others at the edge of the forest.

In front of them was a nice town, full of houses and businesses. The town seemed alive with activity as they wound their way through the streets, the Shadowhunters in awe of it. Townspeople were walking around and eating in the outdoor cafés, children playing in the streets, the shouts of vendors filling the air. All of the New Yorkers were staring at different entities: Isabelle was entranced with the clothing stores, Alec was busying himself with the different architecture styles, and Jace was absentmindedly looking around while twirling a dagger in his hand. Simon asked Erza about this kingdom, and all of the other Shadowhunters stopped to listen.

"I can't explain much right now, but I'm sure Master can fill you in on everything about Fiore. We're coming up to the guild right now." Clary turned to see what she meant, and sputtered at the large building before her.

The building was easily three stories tall and strongly resemble a castle in appearance. The top of the structure was a small, tower-like dome containing a large bell, which had a pointed roof made of tiles and the front part of the top floor houses a large banner with the guild's insignia on it. Surrounding the building is a fence composed of stone overtopped by decorated railing, with some pillars over-topped by torches on its length and an open gate giving access to the guild, this possessing an upper part covered in tiles, with railing below it, plus a large sign bearing the guild's name and a pair of detailed fairy statues.

"Wow. Now that's impressive," Jace whistled.

"It reminds me of the Institute. A little, at least," Isabelle commented, taking it in.

"Come on. If you think this is something, then you should see the rest of the guild," Natsu grinned, and raced through the gates. The rest followed suit in a more formal manner, the Shadowhunters engrossed by it all.

The inside was just as ornate, with large banners hanging off the walls and several tables stretching across the room ending at a large wooden stage. A sort of bar was set up on one side of the room, and a board with several pieces of paper was by the entrance. A staircase led to the second floor, which overlooked the ground floor and also downstairs to some unknown destination. The hall was full of activity, with people talking, eating, and even practicing some magic. Clary was surprised by the size and energy of this place, trying to take it all in. She noticed at her friends were doing the same, obviously thrown off by it all. Jace, Alec and Isabelle had basically grown up in the Institute, where company was never really had and the majority of the rooms were empty. Seeing this must make them question their upbringing a bit.

"Kinda reminds me of Manhattan," Simon commented, seeing a draw of home in the environment around them.

"I guess you could say that…" Clary responded, scanning for Natsu and the others.

"What did you say?!" a familiar voice shouted, pissed. _Speak of the devil,_ Clary thought, turning to see Natsu facing a hulk of a man with spiky white hair and a scar running underneath his right eye.

"I said, if you were a real Man, then you wouldn't of turned tail and run back to the guild after you just left," the man said, agitating Natsu even more.

"It's not like that, Elfman. We had another matter to take care of-" Lucy started, but was cut off when Natsu's fist connected with the Elfman's face, sending him flying across the guild.

Soon, an all-out fight was raging through the guild, everyone attacking everyone. Even Erza got involved after someone stepped on her cake. The Shadowhunters stood by the door, unsure of what to do. Finally, Jace turned and shouted to them, "Don't just stand there. Let's go have fun!" and took off into the guild, whooping and hollering. Alec rolled his eyes and dashed in after him, leaving Simon and the girls in the dust.

"Geez, why do those two have to be so reckless?" Isabelle asked, shaking her head. Clary laughed and turned to Simon, who was obviously not sure what to think.

"I don't want to go in there. What would happen if someone landed a hit on me?" Simon told her, and she nodded. Talk about a not-so-good introduction. She glanced around, trying to find somewhere not so chaotic. She noticed the bar, seeing a crop of blond hair and the tips of blue ears hiding behind it. _It must be Lucy and Happy. I guess not everyone likes to fight._

"Hey!" Clary shouted, Simon and Isabelle turning towards her. "I found a place we can go and wait this out. Follow me."

Soon, the three were crawling along the wall, slowly weaving their way through the guild. All around them, it was a madhouse, everyone having way too much fun hitting each other. Clary caught the occasional glimpse of Jace and Alec before they drove back into the chaos.

As they were making their way along the wall, a body appeared out of nowhere, causing the three to scatter to avoid getting hit. Sadly, though, it didn't work out entirely. As soon as Simon left the wall, a fist hit him in the face and the attacker was flung across the room, crashing into the stage. Everyone stopped fighting to look over as Elfman slowly rose back to his feet, obviously dazed.

"What was hell was that? That was a Man's hit, whatever it was," he laughed, making his way back towards Simon. He stopped and studied him, causing him to squirm slightly. "You're new around here, aren't you?"

"Yes. If Natsu hadn't been so impatient, then we could've told you about them," Erza said, walking over to them.

"He so started it!" Natsu interjected.

"What is going on out here?" a voice asked, and Clary turned to find the source, but was surprised to see it came from below her. She looked down to see an old, short man with black eyes, balding white hair and a white mustache.

"Sorry to cause to such troubles, Master." Erza said, causing the Shadowhunters to gape at the midget of a man. _This guy is the Master that they talked about? He's smaller than me!_

"Huh. You guys must be new around here. I'm Makarov Dreyar, the Master of Fairy Tail. It's nice to meet you," the old man said, smiling up at them.

"It's nice to meet you," Alec replied, him and Jace joining the other three. "Erza here has told us that you could help us with a predicament of ours."

"A predicament?"

"Yes," Erza answered, gazing down at the Makarov. "It's of great importance."

"Well, then, why don't you all join me in my office so we sort through this problem of yours," Makarov said, walking toward the stairs. "And try not to tear up the guild hall more before we're done talking. I would like it if our guests had a decent place to come to later."

"Honestly, what's wrong with that?" Jace laughed as the group followed the man, hopefully to get some answers.

"Just who were those people?" Mirajane asked Lucy, who was now back to cleaning glasses at the bar.

After the group went upstairs into Master's office, the rest of the guild went back to normal. Some people were going around straightening chairs and tables while others cleared out the broken ones for new ones from storage. All the while, a sort of buzz hung in the air, and it wasn't hard to tell the root of all of the excitement.

"I'm not quite sure who they are. We found them in the East Forest after some sort of freak storm hit the town," Lucy answered, trying to solve the puzzle on her mind. _Just who are those people?_

"They're a strange group, even by our standards," Natsu said, looking up to the second floor, where Master and the new comers chatted. The only ones allowed in there was Erza, who was there to help fill in information for both sides. Meanwhile, the rest of Team Natsu sat around a table by the bar, trying to sort through the events of the day. With them were Levy, Gajeel, Pantherlily, Elfman, Lisanna, Juvia, and Cana, asking questions about the strangers.

"I understand what you're saying. I saw the golden-haired and the black-haired boy during the fight, and they can definitely hold their own in a brawl," Gajeel grunted.

"Also the fact that the other boy could land such a hit without my knowing is Manly," Elfman added, flashing a thumbs up.

"Yeah. Apparently, when we met them, they had just finished a fight with a hoard of Forest Vulcans, killing two of them in the process," Gray stated, causing the others to gawk at him with shocked expressions.

"They _killed_ two Forest Vulcans?" Levy asked, her eyes widened in surprised.

"Yep. I don't know how or exactly what their deal is, but I don't know how to respond to that," Carla said, her arms crossed and her face contorted in uncertainty.

Before the wizards could continue, they heard the door above them open. Out came Master, along with Erza, and the five teenagers. They came downstairs and went onto the stage, where Master called for the guild's attention.

"Children, listen up," he started and waved at the kids to introduce themselves. Jace stepped up and spoke for the group.

"My name is Jace Herondale. This is Clary Fairchild, Alec and Isabelle Lightwood, and Simon Lewis," he said, pointing to each teenager in turn.

Master continued. "These children are from a world known as Earth. It's different than Earthland because there are many countries and continents. They are from a city called New York City, and also Idris, a land special to them. They are known as Shadowhunters, a group of people that are half human and half angel. Their job is to defend the Earth and destroy demons."

"Actually," Jace interrupted, "Only Clary, Alec, Isabelle and I are Shadowhunters. Simon is a vampire," gesturing to the brown-haired boy, who only shifted on his feet but didn't defy anything that was just said.

The guildhall didn't know how to process it. These teenagers in front of them were from a different world and were in charge of killing demons. It seemed like too much. As an added bonus, the guy Simon was a _vampire_! _I guess that explains why he didn't have one of those weird weapons back in the East Forest_ , _but how is that possible!? He's a vampire, standing in sunlight! Aren't vampires nocturnal?_ Lucy thought, snapping back to reality as Master resumed.

"These children are here because a failed portal, which allows them to travel from one place to another. As of now, they don't have any way of contacting their home, and cannot make a portal to return home." The wizards replied with confused looks.

Clary stepped forward to explain. "The portal works in the way that one person must be on both sides to open it. If only one side is open, then the person using it will be lost in an unescapable void between worlds. I had made one opening on our side, while a warlock named Magnus Bane was on the other side waiting for us. For some unknown reason, after we had passed through, we wound up in a free fall landing in your forest just outside town, and we have no way of contacting Magnus or anyone at home about where we are or what happened."

"So," Master picked up, "as of now, until they can find a way to contact and return back to their world, they have decided to join Fairy Tail. Please treat them well."

If the guild had any doubts before, they were quickly obliterated. Everyone cheered, the volume in the guild almost deafening. Natsu whooped and hollered, practically dying for a fight. Everyone else at the table were smiling, cheering the new comers. Mirajane was now on the stage, giving each of the teens their guild stamps.

"Alrighty, then. Let the welcome party begin!"

X

 **That's all for now. See you all next week**


	4. Chapter 3

**Heyo! This is moonlitraven14. School's getting busy with graduation in just a few months, but that won't stop me from writing. I'm glad to see that you're enjoying reading my story as much as I enjoy writing it. Without further ado, here's Chapter 3 of Shadow Tail!**

X

 **Chapter 3**

"You guys sure know how to party," Clary said, turning to watch the guildhall. Everywhere was merriment and it seemed that alcohol was the beverage of choice for most, who were downing it by the mug. Or, in the brown-haired woman's case, by the barrel.

"Yep. They always seem to make a party out of anything. But they especially love to party for new members. It makes them feel at home," Natsu laughed.

The New Yorkers were sitting at one of the tables towards the back of the guild, watching the hubbub around them. They were accompanied by Team Natsu, Gajeel, Levy, and Pantherlily (which was another talking cat!). They were asking the teens a million questions at once, and the Shadowhunters talked about the Institute and Idris. They tried the best to explain to them, though most of the terminology went over their heads.

"So, are there just your kind and demons?" Lucy queried, eyeing them.

"No, there is another section of creatures called Downworlders. There are the Fair Folk, or faeries, which are descendants of angels and demons, portrayed by their unearthly beauty yet malicious and cunning nature," Alec began, rattling off facts about the Downworlders like he was reciting a manual. "We have magic in our world, too, but it's used by warlocks. They're like you, but they are the descendants of humans and demons, and are most commonly recognize by their animal-like features."

Isabelle jumped on. "Some physical attributes include wings, antlers, horns…"

"And cat eyes." Alec mumbled, looking down at his lap. _He must be missing Magnus_. Jace gave him a look, snapping Alec out of his mood. Clearing his throat, he continued. "Then there are the species of humans with demon diseases. The first one are Lycanthropes, or werewolves. The others are vampires, like Simon here."

"You're not really a vampire, are you?" Wendy asked turning, Carla in her arms.

"Yep, I really am," Simon replied, flashing his incisors at the group. Most of them were impressed, although the young mage paled a little.

Simon turned, allowing Clary to see the dark green Fairy Tail symbol on his neck. She glanced down at the one on her forearm; red, like her hair. Jace, Isabelle and Alec had a little more difficulty with theirs, having to find empty slots on their bodies not covered by runes. Isabelle's was on her right shoulder blade, as was Alec's. Jace decided that he wanted his a little lower, just to the side of his finely-chiseled stomach. Each had a different color: Isabelle was pink, Alec a dark blue, and Jace was red as well. The rune-like image flashed back into her mind for a moment, but she ignored it and turned back to the conversation at hand.

"So, you're a vampire, yet you can walk around in the daytime. How is that possible?" Lucy asked, her elbows popped up and her chin resting on her shoulders.

Simon turned to look at her. "It's because I had a special circumstance that allows me to walk in the sun. When I first turned, I couldn't even stand looking at sunlight without recoiling. My skin even blistered up if I'm not careful and came into contact with sunlight. I spent most of my time locked up in my room and only moved around freely at night."

"If that's the case, how are you able to now?" Levy inquired, peering over the novel in her hands.

Simon's shoulders stiffened slightly. Clary glanced over at Jace, who was now suddenly interested in his glass of water. "There was a situation that caused me to gain the ability. I don't have a really good memory of it." _I guess he doesn't want to tell them about Valentine yet_.

"Cool!" Natsu exclaimed.

Erza spoke up. "Just a quick question, what were those weapons you had back in the forest? Were they swords?"

"Actually, they're called seraph blades. They're the weapon of choice for the Nephilim, because of their angelic ability and efficiency in killing demons," Alec explained, drawing a blade from his belt and placing it on the table. The mages gathered around to see it, and Clary could almost see the confused disappointment on their faces.

"No offence, but how is that effective against demons?" Gajeel asked, sneering. "It looks like a piece of metal to me."

"That's because it's not activated yet. Each seraph blade is named after an angel, and the blade will activate. When it's activated, it grows into a clear, glowing sword," Alec stated, grabbing the blade and walking a few feet away from the table.

He continued. "The louder you shout the name, the more powerful the blade is." He held it out and shouted, "Gabriel!" The once dull tube now sprung into a glowing weapon, illuminating the area.

"That's awesome! Can I fight against one?" Natsu said, almost drooling at the thought of an exciting fight.

"Not unless you want to be burned to a crisp. Mundanes will be burned to death, and, no offence, but I don't think your fire will be of any use against them," Isabelle stated, Natsu frowning at the loss.

"Another question. What are those weird symbols on your bodies? What purpose do they serve?" Gray asked, indicating to the symbols scrawling across the Shadowhunters' bodies.

Clary's ears perked up at the question and decided it was her turn. "They're called runes, given to us by the Angel, Raziel. They allow us to have various supernatural abilities and make us stronger than normal people."

She reached down and pulled her stele out, setting it onto the table. The wizards studied it with curiosity and confusion. "The runes are drawn onto the skin by an object called a stele," she continued, gesturing to the slender object. "Depending on what runes we draw, we can gain several abilities. While some of them are permanent, many are temporary and will leave a thin white scar."

Jace picked up the explanation. "Some of the abilities we can gain are increase speed and hearing, precision, strength, and endurance. _Iratzes_ can subside pain and heal some wounds while others allow us to track and recall past events."

He grabbed a dagger from his belt and before anyone could react, made a clean, fluid swipe across his arm. A thin gash appeared, blood slowly beading up.

"Why did you do that?" Wendy cried out, moving towards him with her hands slightly outstretched. Before she could move any closer, Isabelle reached out and stopped her. "Just watch," was all she said.

Jace bent over and picked up the stele, bringing it towards him. It made contact with his arm, emitting a small hiss as he began to draw. His hand moved with the mechanical function of doing it hundreds of times before. He pulled back, the _iratze_ finished and watched, along with everyone else, as the cut began to heal. The mages were in awe, especially Wendy, whose hands now rested at her sides.

"That's amazing," Levy commented in admiration.

"Yep. We use runes for all sorts of things, but mostly combat. It gives us an edge over our opponents," Jace said, handing Clary her stele.

"If that's the case, you have to prove to us that they give you the competing edge," Natsu proclaimed, hopping up onto the table.

"Meaning?" Simon questioned, his eyebrow slightly raised.

"I challenge you a fight!" Natsu shouted, pointing at Jace.

X

"Natsu. You can't just go challenging anyone you-"

"I accept your challenge."

Lucy stopped talking, turning to see the golden boy smiling coyly, looking Natsu dead on. She had only just met the guy, and she can already tell that he was as reckless as the dragonslayer.

"Jace, are you sure?" Alec asked, stunned at the boy's acceptance.

"Yeah. I haven't had a worthwhile match in a while. I need to loosen up," Jace replied, Alec just shaking his head in return.

"You don't have to do this, Jace. Natsu here is a nut, always wanting to fight. Isn't that right, flame princess?" Gray said snidely, throwing the last comment directly at Natsu.

"What did you say, ice queen?!"

"Enough! Both of you! If he wants to do it, then let him do it. I'll let the Master know we'll be having a friendly competition here in the guildhall, so get ready, both of you," Erza shouted, causing the two mages to cower as she turned on her heels and walked away. _This is nuts. They're actually not going to fight, right? Master shouldn't be okay with this_.

"I stand corrected," Lucy groaned, looking out at the scene in front of her. In three minutes, the guildhall went from a part to a brawl, the tables and chairs cleared away to make enough room for the two boys to duke it out. The wizards stood to the sides, already placing bets on the match. Lucy watched as Jace spoke with his friends, Clary drawing those weird symbols-runes- on his body. It was a strange process, but if they were like he said, then he shouldn't have a problem keeping up with Natsu.

"Wish me luck, guys," Natsu shouted.

"Aye! You got this!" Happy called out, cheering on his friend.

"Let's get this started so we can get back to the party," someone shouted, others joining their voices in to the cacophony. Jace and Natsu now stood in the middle of the guild, the Master in between.

"Listen up, brats. Here are the rules. The battle will be between Jace Herondale and Natsu Dragneel. You are allowed to use any tactics as long as it doesn't permanently destroy my hall. First one unable to continue fighting loses," Master said, shouting to be heard over the buzz.

"Alright. The match begins in three.

Two.

One.

Fight!"

X

 **That's all for this week. Next week: Natsu vs Jace! Who do you think will win? Comment it and let me know how you're liking it. Till next week, bye bye!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey, guys. This is moonlitraven14. I'm so sorry I missed last week's post. I was out of town and couldn't do anything about it until I got home. I would like to thank everyone for supporting me and favoriting and following my story. I am having so much fun writing this and I'm glad you all are enjoying it too. Without further ado, here is this week's installment of Shadow Tail! :)**

 **Chapter 4**

 _Three._

 _Two._

 _One._

 _Fight!_

X

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Not even a moment's pause before Natsu lunged, throwing a flaming fist towards Jace. The golden boy just stood there, watching as the inferno approached him, eyebrow arched and a slight tug at the lips. The Iron Fist was now inches away from the boy, sailing towards a hit-

And went through thin air.

"You challenge me to a duel, yet you move with such sloppiness. You're going to have to be much faster than that, Pinky."

Lucy whipped around towards the source of the voice, stunned to see Jace standing five feet away, arms crossed and a smile splayed across his face. His eyes burned, golden flames dancing. The black runes curled around his body like tattoos, and a bronze leaf shaped short sword hung lazily to his side.

Natsu's laughing expression was gone now, all the humor gone from his face. Lucy knew he was serious now. Somehow, Jace's movement had surprised him, leaving him to change his approach. He ignited his fists again and charged, shouting "I'm not pink!"

Jace sidestepped him, throwing a punch that nearly missed Natsu, who crouched and flung a Fire Dragon's Claw. Jace turned to move but ended up getting clipped by the attack, flinging him back several feet, where he landed in a squat. His skin smoked from where he got hit, but there were no obvious signs that the fire attack worked. He grinned at Natsu's confusion and pointed at one of the runes on his arm. "Fireproof. I took note of your quick showing in the forest and planned ahead. Try if you like, but fire will have no effect on me."

Lucy was stunned. There was a rune that could resist _fire_? No wonder Jace had accepted his invitation so quickly. Not only did he want a fight, but he already knew a way around Natsu's magic.

"Interesting. I would've never called that, but now that it's out there I'm not so surprised," Erza commented, her chin resting on her raised hand. The group was musing over this new development, which left everyone wondering: _What else does Jace have up his sleeve?_

"Fine, then. If fire didn't effective, then I'll just have to beat you up without it," Natsu declared, charging back at him. This time, instead of wrapping his fist in fire, he used it as a power boost, rocketing him forward. Jace laughed, raising his fists. "I wouldn't have wanted it any other way!"

What occurred next was nothing short of spectacular. The two were a blur of fire and gold, body limbs flying out and clothing trailing behind them. This was probably the first time Lucy has seen someone on the same level as Natsu without magic. A fist here. A foot there. The crowd was completely eating it up.

Lucy looked over and saw Clary and the others watching the melee, eyes darting to keep up with their speed. They didn't seem too engrossed like everyone else, _probably due to their fighting demons all the time_ , but they turned to speak to each other, like they were making comments they didn't want anyone else to hear. _What_ are _they talking about?_

A crash pulled Lucy back to the battle at hand. Somehow Jace had been tripped up and landed awkwardly on the stage. Natsu, wearing a grin that made his canine incisors glisten like Simon's vampire teeth, strode towards the Shadowhunter, who was picking himself up and dusting himself off. "Is that fast enough for ya?!" Natsu cried, earning a rally from the guild.

"Not bad," Jace said. "But let's see you catch up now." A shadow fell upon his face as he bent over to pull a slim, dully glowing implement out his boot. _It's his stele!_ Lucy realized, glancing over at her friends, who have also recognized the object from Clary's explanation. As he stood up, his golden hair fell over his face, covering his eyes. He didn't move to push it aside as he placed the stele to his skin, right next to another scrawling rune, and began to sketch. A slight hiss emitted and the stele glowed as Jace deliberately drew, his face hidden in shadows.

"Oh no you don't!" Natsu shouted, dashing forward, closing the distance between him and the golden boy. He used his magic to give him a boost, throwing an Iron Fist. Just as he neared Jace, the boy looked up, his hair parting slightly to allow Lucy to see his face. His eyes burned and a smile tugged at his lips. Just as Natsu reached him, Jace drew the stele away.

And disappeared into thin air.

X

And Jace disappeared.

Or so it seemed.

Clary couldn't help smile to herself as she watched Natsu fall forward from the follow through. Not even a beat and he was back on his feet, looking around in confusion. Apparently the entire guild was stunned, voices ranging from whispers to shouts exploded across the hall, everyone confused by what had just happened. They knew Jace was fast, but now Jace was gone, almost like a phantom.

Almost.

 _*FLASHBACK*_

 _"You want me to what?" Clary asked, turning her head up to match Jace's gaze._

 _The guild members were busy running around, moving furniture and clearing space for the fight. Clary could see Natsu and his friends standing side of the hall, talking excitedly, Happy doing laps around Natsu's head. Jace had asked Clary to sketch some runes on her for the fight: Dexteritas, Courage, Heightened Speed, Insight, Precision, Strength and Soundless curled around his arms, chest and back. She was currently drawing the Fireproof rune he requested on his arms when he asked her a question that stilled her hand._

 _"You heard me. I want you to draw an incomplete Mendelin rune," Jace replied, his gaze droll but serious._

 _"But why?" she inquired, putting the finishing touches on the Fireproof rune. The Mendelin rune is essentially a glamour that hides a Shadowhunter from the mundane world. It can be used to hide places, such as the Institute, and also allow a Shadowhunter to sneak up on demons. Only those of the Shadow World can see behind the glamour._

 _"What's a fight without an ace in the hole?" Jace winked, his eyes sparkling. He lent in and whispered in her ear…_

 _*FLASHBACK END*_

 _Now I get it. He wanted the incomplete rune so he could finish it during the fight. Once completed, then the glamour will take hold and allow Jace to slip off and use a sneak attack._ Clary thought, a smile hinting at her face. She could see the other New Yorkers, who she had told during the fight, grinning at his "disappearance". Jace, now invisible to the rest of the guild, was sitting on the railing of the second story, lazily looking down. The Soundless runes allow him to move with the same style of vampires, like vapor.

Clary turned to look across the hall to find Erza and the others, who were mumbling to each other. Lucy's head popped up and held eye contact with Clary for several seconds, the chocolate brown searching her's for something. Whatever it is, she couldn't tell, as Lucy turned to look at the rest of Clary's friends in turn and a spark lit in her eyes. She turned her attention to Natsu, who was inclining his head, pausing and turning his head as if he was looking for something. Or _someone_.

Clary wasn't bothered too much by it, since Jace had his glamour. Just as she was about to say something to Izzy, Simon hissed to her, "Look."

Following his gaze, she saw something about Natsu she missed before. His nose was twitching slightly, like a dog.

 _As if he was smelling for Jace_.

"There!" Natsu shouted, rocketing towards Jace. Jace looked genuinely shocked; it took a lot to shake him up. This was enough.

Jace jumped down to the ground as Natsu crashed into the bar. Sticking his head into the air and sniffing once again, he spun and plummeted down, fire bellowing from behind him. Jace jumped aside, Natsu crashing down where he just stood. Clary looked at Jace, whose eyes burned so bright, she was surprised the room was alight by their glow. Chuckling, he grabbed the sword- lent by Erza- and cut the rune, terminating it. Although it was nothing special for the New Yorkers, the sudden appearance of Jace startled the guild. Shouts and cheers filled the air as Jace spun on his heel to face the dragonslayer.

"I must say, that was quite impressive. I made sure that Mendelin rune was prepared so you wouldn't be able to find me. So, how were you able to find me, Pinky?"

"Stop calling me pink!" Natsu screamed. "Besides, dragonslayers have heightened senses of smell, which allow us to find people, whether captured, lost, or _hiding_."

"And if my might ask, what exactly do I smell like?" Jace inquired, crossing his arms and jutting his side out to the side.

"Black pepper, sweat, smoke, male cologne, and strangely, sunshine. Satisfied?"

"Much so," Jace commented and charged forward, resuming their fight.

It went on for just a little while longer. As Natsu and Jace charged, both with a fist flying, missed the other's completely and landed perfectly placed blows on their temples. Both ended up crashing to the ground, obviously dazed. Anyone could see how spent the two looked as they slowly made their way to their feet. Jace looked at the pink-haired boy and said, "I don't know about you, but I thought that this was fun. Don't you agree?"

"Yeah. That was awesome!" Natsu exclaimed, fire snaking from his mouth as he laughed.

"What to call it a draw? I could use a drink from the bar," Jace asked, sticking his fist out.

"Sure! But we'll have to definitely fight later," Natsu answered, fist bumping Jace.

"Totally," Jace smiled.

"That's the match, brats!" Master shouted, hopping off the bar and walking to the two boys, who were now chatting excitedly about the fight.

The guildhall was a cacophony, cheers, shouts and cries for a winner for the bet they placed ruled the air. The New Yorkers laughed and spoke among themselves, noticeably content with the battle. Clary turned to Erza and the others, who were huddled around the two boys, chatting and arguing, at least in Gray and Natsu's case. _Do those two ever get along?_ Clary chuckled. She was about to say something to Simon when Lucy caught her eye. The two looked at each other, and after a second, Lucy smiled and waved her over. _I guess that look from earlier had to do with Natsu's ability to sniff Jace out,_ Clary thought as she made her way over.

"Let's get this party back up and running!" Master hollered, and the guildhall roared once again as they picked up where they left off just moments ago.

X

 **Jace v Natsu ends in a tie! What will occur next week? Let me know your opinion on the fight and any other comments you would like to share. Til next week, bye bye! :)**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey, guys. This is moonlitraven14. Thank you for the support for the series so far. I love writing this and look forward every week to post. To my new favoriters and followers, and my old ones as well, I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am writing it. Without further ado, here is this week's installment of Shadow Tail! :)**

 **Chapter 5**

The party had lasted for hours, ending as the sun was just starting to set. The majority of the guild members were passed out, either exhausted from the several fights that broke out during the party, or they were so drunk that sleeping was their only option.

Lucy stood up from the bar stool she was currently occupying and began to make her way out of the guild. However, she stopped. Turning on her heel, she picked her way through the throng of drunk and sleeping people to one of the only alert groups left, who were currently enjoying a meal provided by Mirajane.

Clary and Simon were playing a strange game with a deck of cards that Lucy didn't know, while Alec and Isabelle chatted with each other about she could believe was gross, disgusting and hysterical. Jace was leaning lazily on the table, polishing a small dagger and occasionally injecting a comment into their conversation.

"Hey guys," Lucy said, catching the Shadowhunter's attention.

"Oh. Hey, Lucy! Feel like playing a round of Go Fish with us?" Clary asked, gesturing to the card game they were currently playing.

"Fish!" Happy shouted, bolting straight up before settling back onto Natsu's shoulder, mumbling about fish as he dozed back off.

"Please," Jace injected, sitting up and staring at the two. "Go Fish is _not_ a card game, in my opinion. I prefer something more interesting, like Blackjack or Gin Rummy."

"You prefer _anything_ interesting, like diving head first into a hoard of Du'sien demons with nothing more than a dagger and Maryse's _naginata_ ," Alec noted, glancing at the blond, his eyes covered by his ink like hair.

"Which," Isabelle added, "if you remember, you stole and then damaged it to the point she had to get a new one."

"I prefer the term borrowed with no due date," Jace stated, stretching his arms over his head, yawning.

This was Lucy's que. "Actually, I was wondering if you guys would like to come with me to find a place for you to stay tonight? I know a good inn in town close to my apartment and the Master gave me enough money to buy you guys a couple of rooms."

"You know what, we would love to take that offer up. It's been a long day, and we could use some rest," Alec said, speaking for the group. No one complained, for they were all exhausted by the progression of the day. They stood and, one by one, followed Lucy through the sleeping mages and out of the guild.

As they made their way through the town, Lucy spoke about some of the buildings. The descending sun gave the streets a romantic look. They walked pass several people, each with different missions: some were rushing back to their homes to retire for the evening while others wandered about, enjoying the cool atmosphere. Lucy talked to them about the buildings and businesses as they wound their way back towards the inn.

"What building is that?" Simon asked, pointing to something in front of her.

"Oh, that's Kardia Cathedral," Lucy answered gesturing to the church behind her. "It's the church in Magnolia and also has a cemetery that the dead are buried in."

The Shadowhunters seemed interested by the monolith, but Lucy did notice Simon fidget slightly from the information. _Maybe it has something to do with him being a vampire?_

"The thing is," Alec started, turning to her, "the place we live in, called the Institute, is a church. Churches are important to the Nephilim since they are haven against demons and serve as sort of forts for our race."

"Ahh…" Lucy mused, continuing their journey. She was just talking about a crazy adventure she had with her team that she almost walked right past the inn. "This is it."

She walked in and requested two rooms, the New Yorkers shortly behind her. Keys in hand, she made her way to the rooms and opened the doors. Once inside, she handed the keys over to Clary and made towards the door.

"The rooms have been paid for, and there's enough money here," placing an envelope on the counter by the door, "to pay for food and new clothes tomorrow. For now, get cleaned up and get some rest. My apartment is just a street away, so don't hesitate to come and talk to me if you have any questions. I'll take my leave now."

As she turned to walk out, she stopped when she heard a voice call out to her. Spinning, she locked eyes with Clary. "Yes?"

"Thank you very much for everything," the redhead said, the others bowing their heads slightly.

"No problem. Good night, everyone."

And with that, she exited the room and let the door close behind her.

X

"What should we do now?"

Clary lifted her head, matching Jace's gaze. The minute Lucy left, they took turns getting washed up. Now, everyone clean and dry, they sat in the inn room, trying to figure out their next course of action.

"I mean, those guys are nice and this is a really cool place and all, but we can't stay here forever. We have people still in New York who have probably already noticed our absence."

"Plus, we still have our duties as Shadowhunters. I don't know what will happen if we run of seraph blades here. Also, don't you need to get some blood in you soon, Simon?" Izzy said, turning to the pale teen. Clary could see the veins starting to stand out under his waxy skin.

"It's alright. I brought a bottle with me, so I'll be good for a while," Simon stated.

"However, even though they know you're a vampire, it will be a little too difficult trying to hide the Mark forever," Clary added, her eyes shifting to his overgrown bangs.

"True…" he mumbled.

Jace turned to face her. "Do you think you can think up a rune that might help us get out of here?"

Clary's face scrunched up as she thought. _A rune that could help us get home?_ The rune from earlier that day popped back in her mind, but she shook it away since it didn't help her at all in their current situation. "No dice. And I can't make a Portal without another person. It's too dangerous."

Jace sighed, flopping onto the soft mattress. "So I guess we're stuck for now. The best course of action as of this moment is to get some rest and start looking for information tomorrow."

"No point refusing then, huh?" Izzy sighed, standing and making her way to the door. "Well then, let's go to sleep. Hopefully something will happen soon to get us out of this mess."

Clary stood to join her and the two went to their room, hoping that tomorrow will bring something to help them get home.

X

The light through the windows shut off, plunging the street under them into darkness. Across the street, a cloaked figure stood in the gap of two houses, watching the lights extinguish. The thick velvet cloak concealed them, a hood pulled over to cover most of their face. A ghost of a smile danced on their face as they turned away from their view of the inn and disappeared into the darkness.

X

 **A mysterious figure looms in the dark. Are they good or bad? What will happen to the Shadowhunters now? Let me know who you think it could be and any other comments you would like to share. Til next week, bye bye! :)**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey, guys. This is moonlitraven14. I wanted to say first off, thank you to everyone who has been reading my series. I am enjoying every second of typing this. Secondly, I would like to give a quick shout out to Unikern for his review. I am so glad you are loving it and I hope this is everything you were hoping for in a crossover of these two series. Without further ado, here is this week's installment of Shadow Tail! :)**

 **Chapter 6**

 _The world was burning._

 _Clary slowly made her way to her feet, shaky and unbalanced. Fire roared all around her, the air stinking of smoke and rotting garbage- the stench of demons. Demons moved through the fire, black shadows surrounded by flames. She looked up to see winged demon creatures fly overhead, some with people in their claws. Their howls of terror mixed with the demons' shrieks of hunger and delight._

 _The petite Shadowhunter picked her way through the destruction around her: fallen lumbar, twisted metal, bodies of humans and nothing even close. Her eyes watered and she had to stop, choking and coughing from the heavy smoke. The cries of battle, both human and demon, filled the air. Clary called out, trying to find her friends, but there was no answer. No one was there. She was utterly alone. She had to dive to the side to avoid a falling piece of burning timber, her arms and legs cutting open in shallow gashes from the fall. Her shirt sleeve caught on fire, and Clary batted at it furiously, trying to put out the flames. She heard a shout, a familiar voice cutting through the cacophony. She looked up, her eyes blurred from smoke-caused tears, and her breath caught._

 _Standing ahead of her on a pile of destruction was Jace, a seraph blade in hand. He looked like a fallen angel facing Hell, his back turned towards her, his hair silhouetted by the inferno before him. She was just about to shout his name when another figure joined him. She stared, trying to figure out who it was. Alec, or maybe even Izzy. She was stunned to see a scale-like scarf flying from the figure's neck and the usually pink hair colored red by the flames._

 _Natsu._

 _She could only stare as the two exchanged nods, turning to the blaze before them. Her voice returned to her as the two were swallowed by the conflagration, and the last thing she saw before the world went orange was a sort of rune, black and striking, twisting like vines-_

Clary bolted straight up, her chest rising and falling in a heavy fashion, her skin clammy with sweat. She recognized where she was- the inn room. The events of yesterday swam to the surface of her memory: meeting up for a mission, the failed portal, the fight in the forest, meeting the Fairy Tail wizards, Jace and Natsu's fight, the party in the guild. She glanced down at her arm, the fire red guild symbol peeking out under her short sleeve.

She got out of the bed, untangling the blankets, and made for the shower. As the water rained down, she couldn't help but think back to the dream. _What was all of that?_ she thought, trying to decipher the coded message. Demons, Jace and Natsu, and the runes she's been seeing since yesterday played and replayed in her mind like a cruel, broken record. _Just what happened that caused all of that? And when?_

Shaking the thoughts away, she went back to the task at hand. After washing herself thoroughly, hoping to scrub away the remainders of that dream, she exited the shower, grabbed a towel and went back into the main room.

The room was unusually quiet. Clary realized this was because Isabelle wasn't in there. _Maybe she already met up with the guys_ , she thought as she got dressed: black tank, black leather pants, and the Morgenstern ring hanging in its usual spot. She slid a seraph blade into her belt loop and another laid strapped between her shoulder blades. She got finished putting on her shoes, slipping the stele into her boot, when a knock came from the door. She opened it, revealing Simon, freshly washed and dressed in dark jeans, a leather jacket, and one of his characteristically word shirts-this one said Initiative is Mine. _Isabelle's influence in fashion was clear_ , she chuckled.

"Hey. Good morning," Clary said.

"Good morning," Simon replied, stepping aside as Clary exited the room, locking the door. The two took off down the hall, chatting brightly.

"Have you seen the others this morning? Izzy wasn't in the room when I woke up," Clary asked, the two stepping out of the inn.

"Yeah. The three of them woke up early. Training, I think. They are Shadowhunters, so they do have to stay in shape," Simon answered. The two made their way back to the guild, remembering the route Lucy took last night. A flash of the dream came back: the blazing fire, choking smoke, Jace and Natsu together facing the enemy. Clary must have made a face, because Simon asked her if she was alright.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a little trouble sleeping last night," she laughed, covering her worry with a fake smile.

She knew Simon would never fall for it, but all he did was shrug and reach into his jacket pocket. "I grabbed you a muffin back in the inn. Eating something will help you wake up," he said.

She thanked him, taking the muffin and biting into it. She didn't realize just how hungry she was until the muffin had disappeared in four bites, leaving her wanting more. Simon saw her expression and laughed. "I didn't know you were that hungry. Sorry, I only grabbed one. Maybe Mirajane can make you something when we get to the guild."

Clary nodded, and eventually they lapsed into silence. The two were checking out the town, which was just starting to wake up. Shops and cafes were beginning to open, and more people flowed into the streets. The town was so much different than Manhattan, with its towering skyscrapers and constant hum of people and vehicles. Clary noted that there weren't that many cars, mostly wagons and carts. She did notice a train station, leading off to faraway places. She was going to ask Simon something when they arrived at Fairy Tail, the guild hall stretching tall above her.

The two walked inside. Even at this early hour, things were already busy. Mages sat at the bar and tables, enjoying breakfast and chatting earnestly. Clary and Simon made their way to the bar, settling down on the bar stools as Mirajane came over.

"Good morning, you two. Can I get you anything?" Mira chirped, drying off a pint glass. The two ordered breakfast- Clary an order of pancakes and raspberry syrup, Simon a cup of coffee- and Mira went off to make it. Clary's eyes wandered across the hall, before finally landing on a board by the front door. A couple of mages were standing by it, looking at the papers tacked to it. She had seen it yesterday when they first arrived, but she didn't quite know what it was.

"Hey, Mira?" Clary asked, turning to the white-haired bartender, who had just returned with their orders.

"What is it?" Mira asked.

"What exactly is that over there?" she questioned, pointing to the board.

"Oh! That's the job request board. Mages of wizard guilds earn money by doing jobs, where their magic is needed to complete tasks normal people can't do themselves. It can be either finding something, destroying monsters, or defeating evil wizards, or dark guilds," Mira explained, chatting happily as the two listened.

Simon, sipping his coffee, commented, "Yes. I noticed that the money here is different than the stuff we use at home." He dug into his pant pocket, pulling out some money he apparently had left in there, and placed it onto the table. Clary counted a dollar and 37 cents in change, possibly the money given back after the taxi ride to the Institute yesterday.

"This is indeed strange. The money we use here are called jewels," Mira stated, pulling out a crystal-like object and placing it next to Simon's change. "This buys you everything here, from food to clothes to housing."

 _If that's the case, I wonder where Lucy got the money from to pay for our inn rooms_ , Clary thought. Finishing her plate, she thanked Mira and walked over to the request board, Simon hot on her heels.

The board seemed simple enough, filled with flyers advertising all sorts of odd jobs that need completion. As she scanned the papers, she couldn't help but think about home. Images her mother popped into her mind, Jocelyn chiding her for looking at such dangerous tasks. _But I'm a Shadowhunter_ , she thought, _I can handle anything thrown my way_.

"How about this one?" asked Simon, pointing at a flyer. Clary barely looked at it when she heard a voice overhead.

"I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem enjoyable at all."

She looked up and saw Jace, who was standing on one of the wooden rafters soaring above the guild. He jumped down, landing next to her, as graceful as a cat. Alec and Isabelle appeared right behind him, landing with the same grace that all Shadowhunters had.

"Good morning, guys. Might I ask what you were doing up there?" Clary inquired, smiling at her companions' antics. She could see the mages staring at them from the corner of her eye, shocked by their landing.

"Just some early morning training. These rafters are good for agility exercises, like sword training and flipping," Jace enlightened, his hair shining pale gold in the morning sun. Clary turned to the board, hoping to hide the rising color in her cheeks, but to no avail. Jace smiled ruefully at her, causing her to blush harder.

"Besides, what Simon here has failed to notice is, that, the mission he has selected is too dull to keep his highness entertained," Jace stated, causing Simon to roll his eyes and Alec to groan at his partner. Jace just laughed, pulling a piece of paper out from under his shirt.

"And _this_ seems _far_ more entertaining."

Clary bent over to read it, the others following suit. The paper was a little different than the ones she had seen on the board. It was asking for wizards to go to a town called Frostford and clear out the monsters that have inhabited the town. It didn't go into specifics about what the monsters were or how powerful they are, but Jace's eyes glowed with excitement, his hands twitching in anticipation. This mission was perfect for them, and the reward was huge. _600 million jewels! Why is the reward so high on this one than all of the other ones?_

"Don't even think about it, you guys," said a familiar feminine voice from behind them. The group of New Yorkers turned to see Team Natsu standing behind them. Erza stood in front of the group, her armor-cladded arms crossed and her face stern.

"What do you mean?" Alec asked.

"I mean don't think about going on that mission."

"And why shouldn't we?" Jace inquired, cocking his head but keeping his eyes leveled with the redhead.

A tick mark appeared on Erza's forehead. "The mission you have is an S-class mission."

"A what?" Simon asked, looking from the paper and back to her.

"Oh, I forgot you guys are new, but I'll explain it like this. S-class missions are extremely dangerous, where even the smallest mistake may lead to a mage's death. In order to undertake an S-class job, you must be an S-class mage. And the only ones with an S-class rank are Laxus, Mirajane, Gildarts, and myself."

"But," Lucy added, "you can go on an S-class mission with someone with an S-class rank."

"Well, that settles it," Jace said, pointing at the group. "We're going on this missions, and you guys are coming with us."

"What?!" they said, confused. "You just can't say this."

"Who cares? You said that the only way can go on this is with an S-class wizard, and you are one," Jace stated.

"I didn't mean that," Erza said, backpedaling. "I mean that you shouldn't go on it for your first job."

But Erza's words fell on deaf ears. Jace was already talking to Mirajane about the mission, which made Erza fume even more. Alec shook his face with a small laugh, saying "Once he's set in his ways, you can't stop him."

"Fine." Erza said, striding over and plucking the paper out of Jace's hand. "You can go on this mission, but I and my team will be coming along as well."

"Fine by me," Jace smiled, grinning as the two began to speak to Mirajane about going on the job. Clary and the rest of the groups stayed by the request board, but many of them had excitement written on their faces. Natsu and Happy were jumping around, shouting and laughing. Gray, Wendy and Carla smiled as well, while Lucy stood by, a regretful smile on her face. "Why me?" the blond groaned. Clary giggled, watching her friends talk and take account of the weapons on hand.

"Let's go, everyone! We don't have all day!" Erza bellowed, making for the door.

"Aye!" everyone replied, marching out one by one after her. Clary was the last one to exit, but she paused when memories of her dream came rushing back at her. She shook her head and ran to catch up. _There's no way that anything bad is going to happen to them._

 _Right?_

X

 **Clary haunted by a burning nightmare and the two groups on their way to an S-class mission. What could her dreams possibly mean and what do you believe will happen on this job? Let me know what you think and any other comments or reviewas you would like to share. Til next week, bye bye! :)**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hey, guys. This is moonlitraven14. First off, thank you to everyone who has been reading my story. I don't care about the number of view or how many followers I have. I just love to type this for myself and for all of your enjoyment. [Although, view and followers are appreciates ;)] Secondly, I would like to give a quick shout out to Whovian4444 for his review. It warmed my heart when I read your review, and just remember to not get caught still up reading my updates. Without further ado, here is this week's installment of Shadow Tail! :)**

 **Chapter 7**

Lucy sighed. _This day seems to be getting better and better._

To start off, she woke up to find that Natsu and Happy had somehow broken into her house last night and were fast asleep in her bed. An angry shout and a firmly placed Lucy Kick rose them from their slumber. As she went about getting ready, Gray and Erza showed up and began to make themselves comfortable. Which meant the four were going through her stuff and eating all of her food. Finally dressed, Lucy grabbed her keys and whip, secured them to her belt, and made her way to the door. The others followed her out, and the four made their way to the guild.

The town was already beginning to wake up, people bustling through the streets on their morning activities. They stopped at a café to grab some tea and coffee before continuing on their way. The conversation was bright and joyful, topics of past events and jobs they might go on that day. But they always seemed to steer back to one reoccurring subject: the Shadowhunters.

"I just can't make heads or tails of them," Erza said puzzled. "They're from a different world where magic is only used in a species called warlocks, where werewolves and vampires roam the streets, and they fight off demons unbeknown to the normal people around them."

Gray nodded. "They don't use magic, but runes drawn onto their bodies. And their weapons are tubes and swords of glowing light. It's just a little hard to believe. If it wasn't for Simon showing his fangs and Jace's fight with you, Natsu, that I would've had a harder time believing their story."

"Yeah. He was able to hold himself out against you and lead us to believe he really vanished. If it had been anyone beside a dragonslayer, he would've never been found," Lucy commented, turning her head to see Natsu.

He smiled brightly back at her. "True. I just for a rematch soon where I'll be able to go all out!" he laughed, causing Lucy to worry for the golden boy and any surrounding bystander that might get in the way.

The four continued to chat as they walked into the guildhall, making their way over to the table where the others were waiting. Wendy and Carla were enjoying breakfast, deep into conversation with Elfman and Gajeel, Levy seated beside him, nose deep into a novel.

After a chorus of hellos and good mornings, the mages settled down and began their usual morning antics. The guild was beginning to fill with members, the volume of the hall swelling with each new addition. Lucy could see Mira already busy at the bar, rushing about with platters of steaming food. _Just another day_ , Lucy though, smiling at the craziness around her. She turned her head, hearing the guild hall doors open, to see who it was.

Striding into the hall were Clary and Simon, both dressed in black. Clary's fiery hair flew behind her as the two made their way over to the bar. Lucy could see their guild marks present, Clary's striking and Simon's half hidden behind the collar of his leather jacket. She could also see the curling black symbols laced around her arms and legs, holding an unreadable power she couldn't begin to comprehend. Lucy turned back to the discussion at the table, but she watched the two out of the corner of her eye with a strange curiosity.

She was going to ask Natsu something when she saw Clary abruptly stand up and stride across the hall, Simon on her heels. _Did the two get into an argument?_ Lucy wondered, watching the duo cross the guild hall. It couldn't be an argument; Clary moved with determination and slight curiosity while Simon followed her in confusion for her sudden action. Lucy almost laughed when she noticed Clary stopped in front of the request board and began skimming the papers. _It seems she found out about jobs._

"Hey guys," Lucy said, turning to catch the attention of her guildmates. The chatter ceased as the others turned to hear her. "I think Clary and Simon found the request board. Maybe we should go and help them."

"I don't see why we should. Aren't they warriors from another world?" Gajeel questioned, shooting a look at the redhead and the vampire. "They're perfectly capable of taking care of themselves."

"No offence, Gajeel, but I agree with Lucy," Erza said, standing up, placing her hands on the table. "It would be best for us to accompany them. Because they are from another world, they don't know where anything is and how a job works. Also, this will us an opportunity to see them in action."

Everyone nodded, and Team Natsu began to make their way over to them. Somehow during their debate, Jace, Alec and Isabelle had appeared and were showing the two a request they found. There was something about the way Jace stood and the others' confusion at the request that made Lucy feel that she just signed herself up for more than she can chew.

 _I should've just kept my mouth shut_ , Lucy silently cried, sitting in a train on her way to Frostford. After the argument in the guildhall, the two groups made their way to the train station to catch the soonest ride. The larger group made the progression slower than usual, and the boys didn't help it. Natsu's complaints about his motion sickness, Jace's snide comments to him about being a weak Flame Princess, and Gray encouraging it all almost pulled them into a three-way fight that almost made them miss the train. Only Erza and Alec were able to keep the boys from each other's necks, the others laughing at the insanity around them.

Natsu laid prone on her lap, his motion sickness seizing him for the rest of the trip. Lucy ran her fingers through his hair as she looked around. Because their group was much bigger than usual, they had to split. The Fairy Tail mages sat in one section of chairs while the Shadowhunters sat across the aisle so they can still be able to communicate. She watched as they took inventory, counting the weapons on hand and making notes. She could see the dull seraph blades and slender steles, small twisted daggers, knives, a quiver of gold-tipped arrows and a stainless gold bow by Alec's feet. She remembered that he had it in the forest when they first met.

"Alright. We're good here. So, can you explain this mission a little more so that way we at least know what we're up against?" Isabelle asked, tinkering with the ruby pendant that hung from her neck.

"Of course," Erza said. Everyone leaned in to hear her explain the job. "The town we are going to is called Frostford, up in northeastern Fiore, at the base of a mountain range. The town specializes in the production of beer and wine from the plants grown in the mountain range. Because its only route into town is a road 4 hours from the nearest town where they sell, the lost of communication only became noticeable after several days of no contact from the town. Some of the townspeople went to go and find out why they're so quiet, but that was weeks ago and no word has been heard from those who went to Frostford."

Erza pulled out the request flyer, showing them. "The first bit of communication from the town was this request, apparently from Frostford's mayor, appearing in several neighboring guildhalls. Apparently, every mage who had gone to the town hasn't been heard from since. The several failures of mages caused the payroll to increase, drawing more unsuspecting wizards to their possible doom. That's why it's now an S-class mission, because of the high disappearance, and possible death, rate."

"Ah. That makes sense," Jace commented, stretching across the aisle to grab the flyer. He examined it with mild interest while saying, "I only picked it because of the promise of killing something. I haven't killed a demon in a few days, so I'm getting a little antsy."

Clary rolled her eyes, plucking the flyer from his fingers to look at it herself. "It doesn't exactly say what we're up against."

"I think that whatever we're dealing with may have an ability to disappear," Gray suggested. "It's the only logical thing I can think up."

"Possibly," Lucy added, her mind reeling from all of the information. She hadn't gotten a lot of sleep last night, and exhaustion claimed her. The last things she heard as she dozed off were the two groups discussing what could possibly catch off guard so many mages. _I wonder if we might be added to the toll…_

X

"Clary. Wake up. We're here."

Clary opened her eyes, squinting at the low light streaming through the windows. She hadn't gotten a lot of sleep the other night because of the dream she had, and she must have dozed off during the ride. She could see the train station, much smaller than the one in Magnolia, and low rise buildings stretching beyond it. She's still trying to get use to the small towns, having grown up surrounded by towering skyscrapers and crowded streets. She turned to see Simon waiting for her by the door, his waxy skin shining pale in the setting sun. His overgrown bangs were shifted, the Mark like a vivid bruise on his forehead. She walked over and swiped his bangs to cover it up, and Simon shot her an appreciated look.

The two exited the train to meet the others. _We must be quite a sight_ , she thought as they approached. Natsu was on his hands and knees, kissing the asphalt while Happy, Lucy and Gray chided him for being over overdramatic. The Shadowhunters had marked up on the train, black runes of speed and strength snaking along their limbs. When the two joined the others, Erza spoke up.

"This is the town Greenwick. This town is the closest town to Frostford, the road extending east of here. It will be a long walk, but I believe we should find an inn in town and head out tomorrow."

No one disagreed, though Clary had just woken from a nap. The teens made their way into town in search of an inn. The small town was winding down for the day for some, while other businesses were just opening for the night to come. Brightly lit taverns lined the streets, nestled in between businesses, bursting at the seams with paying, drunk customers. She could see as they passed the sidelong glances and bent heads in whispered secrets. She could imagine what they were thinking: a large group of young individuals striding through town, half of them dressed in strange clothing and even stranger markings.

"They're talking about us," Wendy whispered, so quiet that only Clary who was standing next to her could hear. She looked down at the small mage, who wasn't far from Clary's height.

"I can tell," she whispered back, shooting looks around her at the townspeople. "I wonder what they're saying."

"They're talking about the size of our group, your strange appearances, but mostly about our guild markings."

Clary blinked. "Our guild markings?"

The petite mage nodded. "They can tell that we're wizards and they most likely know what we're here for." She stopped, looking down at her shoes, her face hidden in shadows. "They pity us, believing we had signed our own death warrants."

Clary stopped when she heard that. Her hands went immediately for the Morgenstern ring that hung around her neck, playing with it before turning to the small bluette with a smile. "Don't worry. We would've taken this assignment if we didn't believe we could solve this mystery. I promise, we will make it back to the guild and prove all of these people wrong."

Wendy smiled back, the worry on her face almost all gone. A shout from up ahead broke them out of their reverie, and the two rushed to catch up with the others.

A couple more blocks and finally they were gifted with the presence of an inn. They walked in and bought two rooms, one for the boys and another for the girls. As they made their way to the stairs, the innkeeper asked them what they were doing in Greenwick.

"We're here to go to Frostford," Lucy said, holding up the request. "This town is the only direct route to the town, so we're heading there in the morning."

The innkeeper paled. "I know of this request. Many mages from many guilds have been through my inn on their way to this town. I have yet to see one of those wizards walk back through those doors. If you were smart, you would turn around right now. No one would blame you. But if you really insist in heading off to that cursed town, I would suggest leaving anything of value or importance here. Because as things are right now, you won't be needing them where you're ultimately going."

X

 **The deadly S-class mission with no survivors. As things stand, could the Fairy Tail gang have any possibility of defeating the unseen momster plaguing the town and return safely? Let me know what you think and any other comments or reviewas you would like to share. Also, I'm think of starting another fanfiction for just Fairy Tail with an OC called The Necromancer. I will keep you all informed in the weeks to come on its progress and when I will be posting it. Til next week, bye bye! :)**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey, guys. This is moonlitraven14. First off, I am sooo sorry for missing last week's post, even after I promised not to miss a week. With AP classes and finals, I have had my hands very full. I know I sound like I'm making excuses, but I promise I am truly sorry for missing last week's post. Still, thank you for all of the support. Secondly, I would like to give another shout out to Whovian4444 for her [got it right this time;)] review. Enough rambling. Without further ado, here is the newest installment of Shadow Tail! :)**

 **Chapter 8**

By the time Lucy was awake, showered, and dressed, everyone was already downstairs eating breakfast in the dining room portion of the inn.

She ignored the shadowed looks and bent heads of the other patrons as she strode across the room and took a seat at the table with the others. Erza was currently enjoying an early morning slice of strawberry cake, a soft smile adorning her face. Wendy and Carla were eating their breakfast and talking to Simon and Isabelle about some unknown topic. Beside them were the rowdiest of the group, who for some reason were more subdued this morning. Natsu and Gray sat across from Alec and Jace, the four boys animated but still conservative in their volume. _Erza must have said something to keep things in check_ was all Lucy could believe as she searched for an empty space on the wooden bench. She spotted on beside Natsu and across from Clary and took a seat.

 _Clary looks exhausted_ , Lucy thought once she took her seat. The petite Shadowhunter looked weary, her eyes closed and her head propped on her hand. Dark shadows were beginning to form under her eyes; her red hair was untamed, curls springing in all directions as if she didn't bother to even brush it when she woke up. _Or_ , Lucy pondered at the girl's current state, _if she even went to bed at all_. She placed a hand on the girl's arm, shaking it slightly. Clary's eyes opened, the dull green complementing her bags.

"Are you alright?" Lucy asked, concerned for her friend.

"Yeah. I'm fine," she yawned, stretching her arms behind her to pop her back. When she straightened, some life had returned to her features. "I just had a hard time falling asleep last night. It's alright."

Lucy nodded, shielding her face with a smile to hide her anxiety for the redhead. She glanced around the table to see if anyone else noticed, but either by their attention being elsewhere or they had seen, they showed no sign.

Alec cleared his throat, catching the attention of Lucy and the others. "Alright," he began. "Now that everyone is up and moving, let's talk strategy." Though he looked no older than her, he held himself with authority and dignity, his voice carrying and assertive.

"I agree," Isabelle added, nodding at her brother encouragingly. "All we know about the job is that the town has gone unusually quiet and anyone who has gone to investigate has yet to return. The only road to Frostford is the one that leads from this town," she spoke, arms moving in such grand gestures that Simon had to duck to avoid being smacked in the face. Lucy giggled, watching the two with curious eyes.

Natsu spoke up. "I say we run straight in and beat the crap out of whoever is causing this!" His shouts caused the other members of Team Natsu to groan in disbelief of how utterly stupid Natsu could be sometimes.

"Y'all going to Frostford?" a voice called from behind them. The occupants of the table turned to see a group of men watching them from the bar, overflowing pints of beer clutched in their meaty fists. Although it was still early in the day, the patrons of the Greenwick Inn were already liquoring up. The man in the middle was still staring at them, pursed lips surrounded by beer foam-stained whiskers, his beady eyes trained on the group.

"Come again?" Lucy inquired, shifting under the drunken gaze.

"I said, y'all going to Frostford? Because y'all be dead 'fore day end. " he repeated, an alcoholic slur distorting his speech. His friends laughed and nodded.

"I put my money on that they won't get four feet into town," the person next to him said, waving a fist of jewels as if he were placing bets. Soon others joined him, throwing out bets and insults.

"I don't know about you, but I feel that you fine ladies shouldn't worry about some destroyed town. Let your boys go and die pointlessly while you stick behind. You'll be in good hands," slurred one man, his drunken gaze slowly moving up their bodies, causing Lucy to shudder involuntarily.

Natsu slammed his hands on the table, upsetting the dining ware. A low growl escaped indicating that he would very much like to rip the men into pieces. Before he could make a move, Erza held a gauntleted hand out, stopping him. Her expression was stern, though she could see the slight discomfort of all of the jeers and calls echoing in the dining hall.

"I would highly suggest you stop making comments about my friends," Natsu snarled from his seat, lethal and deadly.

"What was that?" the men challenged, pushing themselves away from the bar to make their way over. The man with the beady eyes, who seemed to be the ring leader of their little posse, headed the group, his stout body stilted on chubby legs swaying from one too many drinks. She had to stifle a laugh, along with her friends, as he wobbled his way over, his colleagues right behind him.

Not everyone stayed controlled, though.

"By the Angel, he looks like a Drevak demon, with the intelligence and odor to boot," Jace snickered, causing Simon to spit out his drink in surprise. The other Shadowhunters curled up to control themselves, shoulders bobbing slightly. Taking a sip, he watched the flabbergasted men who had stop their progression, his eyes flat gold disks. "Though, truth be told, they are a lot faster than he is. This man is so jacked he wouldn't even be worth breaking a sweat in a fight." Although Lucy and the other mages didn't understand the joke, the New Yorkers collapsed into a fit of hilarity, their hoots bouncing off the dining room's wooden walls.

This, however, did not sit well with the men, who were now fuming. "What did you say?!" the plump man shouted, the slur in his voice taking away any attempt at seriousness.

Jace just shrugged, turning his back as he spoke. "I mean, why else would you look so completely ridiculous? I don't see why I have to explain myself to someone as simple-minded as yourself."

Red from anger, the man swayed forward, shuffling over to grip the boy on the shoulder. "You better have more respect and learn your place- _boy_." He sneered, meaty hand clamped down on Jace's shoulder. "You have no idea who I am or my authority in this town. You have no idea who you're messing with-"

He would've continued if Jace hadn't gotten bored and pulled a knife from his weapon belt, slicing it up the man's arm. The man wailed, stumbling back just to trip and fall with a crash. Scarlet blood bloomed from the wound, flowing in a stream down his arm. His friends cried out in anger and charged Jace, unknown blades appearing almost out of thin air. Jace stood with a superior look as the moving hoard, as if daring them to come at him. But they never even got close when Alec jumped in front and sent a fist at the first men to approach. Lucy blinked in surprise, since she didn't see the raven-haired boy moved.

"Alright! Now we're talking" Natsu shouted, hopping over the table to join the fight with an Fire Dragon's Iron Fist ready, Gray hot on his heels already starting an Ice Make. The men never stood a chance, from Natsu's flames to Gray's devastating ice weapons. Alec even participated, a sword in hand, his eyes a chilling sapphire. The men were defeated swiftly, leaving just the beady-eyed fat man who was sitting on the floor, his hand covering the wound on his arm. He went to move, to jeer and retort, but froze when Jace made his way over, the knife twirling in his fingers.

" _No_. _You_ have no idea who _you're_ messing with," he growled. "You have no idea who I am, where I'm from, _who I've killed_."

He dropped in front of the man, the knife at his throat, the tip denting his Adam's apple. "You are in no position to say a word about the things we do. The wizards before us who came to complete this task were fools, nothing but the endgame in mind. They were never smart enough to see the dangers that laid in wait to pull them to their doom. But let me make one thing clear," he stressed, the knife dipping further. "I am not like the others. I have powers and abilities that would allow me to kick the living crap out of you without breaking a sweat. But, since it's early and I rather save it for the fight to come than waste it on you, I don't feel like putting in the extra effort. We will go, we will win, and we will return. You can count on that, _mundane_."

And with that, he turned and exited the inn without another word.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"By the Angel, Jace. Don't you ever learn?" Alec said, shaking his head as he applied an _iratze_ on his _parabatai_.

After the fight in the inn that resulted in Jace storming off in a huff, the Fairy Tail members and Shadowhunters took off after him, throwing down jewels to pay for their meals as they dashed by suspicious and curious onlookers. Alec was the first to catch up to him; he was striding down the street in the direction that Erza commented was the road to Frostford. The others were right behind, and Clary couldn't help feeling slightly relieved to be away from that inn and its not-so-reputational patrons.

Jace shrugged, throwing his jacket back on now that Alec's finished. "Trust me. He very much deserve more, but I was not going to take his crap or bother putting in the extra effort this early in the morning. Demons are one thing, but arrogance pricks like chubby in there are not worth my time."

Isabelle shook her head, but Clary saw the expression in her eyes reflect Jace's reasoning for fighting against those men: the sense of self justice. She would be lying if she claimed that she was angry at Jace; _those men reaped what they sowed_ she thought as she tried to occupy her thoughts with the town around her.

The group was now heading towards the northern part of town, heading out of the town center where they had spent the night. Businesses gave out to more housing, and most of the people crowding the streets were residence of the brightly colored houses that lined the cobblestone streets. Clary could see mountains peaks cresting over the tops of houses, their tips white from a possible premature snowstorm. _I hope it doesn't get too cold,_ she thought, watching the skies above for the telltale signs of rain or snow clouds. _I don't have any warm clothes with me_. Still, no clouds were above or spotted in the horizon, just a vast expansion of the blue heavens. Though, she thought she saw a flicker of orange wisp, but it have been just her imagination…

"So, I know how the others feel about my actions, but what about _you_?" a voice whispered in her ear. The sudden voice shattered her reverie, and she threw herself backwards with a yelp. She heard the laughter before she could see Jace, who was watching her with a strange mix of amusement and curiousity. "What's wrong? Ravener got your tongue?"

Annoyed, she walked over and shoved him. She could feel his muscle through the shirt's thin material: hard, coiled muscles sliding up and down with a fluidity like molten gold… Clary flushed, the tips of her ears burning. "You just startled me. That's all."

Jace answered with one of his signature smiles that would've sent many unsuspecting women to the hospital from injuring themselves to get to him. Clary stuck her tongue out, more annoyed than ever, and fell back in ranks. She wanted someone to speak to, just she didn't know who she wanted to talk to. Scanning the group, she noticed Lucy, Natsu and Happy walking side by side, heads bent, and she went over to join them.

Clary couldn't help but observe how the two interacted with each other. Based on her relationship with Jace, she could see that Lucy obviously really liked Natsu. She found out in one of their first meetings that not only are they on Team Natsu (though she didn't really understand why they were called that), but that Natsu, Happy and Lucy are partners that go out on missions together. _While it seems Natsu is ok with this_ , she thought, _I think Lucy likes him as more than a comrade or family member. This leaves two options: either Natsu doesn't like her back, or he's as oblivious as he looks._

"Hi guys," she said, her voice grabbing the attention of the trio. They smiled and waved, waiting for her to join them. The four continued on their way, smiling and chatting, talking about some of the events of the past few days. Whenever Natsu got too loud, Gray would challenge him, but they would stop cold when Erza shot them one of her "just try it and see what happens" looks. The rest of the walk through town was pleasant, but Clary couldn't help but notice the crowd of townspeople forming behind and around them as they walked, keeping time with the group. While the crowd was continuing to swell, shouts and taunts echoing from them, the group didn't seem to care.

"This is ridiculous," Clary mumbled, eyeing the mass around them.

"I know. It's eerie, really. If this was anything like what we learned from history class, there's a 8 out of 10 chance we may get burned for being witches," Simon said, sliding away from Isabelle to fall in step beside her. With his newly acquired vampire abilities, he could move with a soundless grace, like a ghost. He has changed a lot, but Clary didn't mind. Simon was still Simon. Even with the vampire fangs and the Mark resting on his forehead.

"That was Salem, and it was all a misconception of rumors and lies. You remember, the main cause of those symptoms were from ergot poisoning from the wheat plants. And besides, there are wizard guilds in this world, so they are normal and even highly regarded."

Simon sighed, shoving a hand through his hair. "Whatever. But I still don't like the looks of things."

She nodded. The crowd around them was now so packed it seemed that every possible habitant of this town was now following them north. She could hear shouts from the crowd about not going, about turning back now while they have the chance, about how absolute death awaited them ahead. Several broke away to approach their tiny group, topics ranging from encouragement to hysterical preaches of death. She could see the annoyance in her friends, who were clearly not happy with the situation. It seemed as if the crowd was waiting for something, but she wasn't quite sure what.

A small boy broke away and ran up to Clary and Simon, the tail of his collar shirt flying out behind him. When he stopped, Clary noticed the wide gray-green eyes surrounded by limp dirt-blond hair staring at them, wild and curious.

"Are you heading off to fight the baddies, miss?" the boy asked, his eyes gleaming.

Smiling, she gazed down at the boy with soft eyes. "Yes we are. We're going to go check it out and come back, okay?"

The boy's expression changed then, a sudden harshness taking shape in his eyes. "You're not going to come back. Everyone says they will, but they never do. Anyone who goes to Frostford die. You will be no exception to this cycle."

Simon cleared his throat to get the boy's attention. "The thing is," he started. "we're different from the others. We will go and come back. I can promise you that."

"No you won't!" the boy wailed, tears forming, grabbing Simon's jacket with his small, slim hands. "No one returns. You give me nothing but empty promises, just like those before you!"

"Yes we will," Simon said. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Besides. I have a secret ability that will allow me to win against any baddies."

"What is it?"

"Look," Simon said, and smiled. Then, he snapped his fangs, ivory incisors gleaming in the sunlight. With a scream, the boy took off into the crowd.

Clary shot him a narrowed look. "What did you do that for?"

"Because I wanted him to see how we're different from the others before us, and also because I didn't want him clinging to my jacket anymore. There was something sticky on them and I can't seem to get it off," Simon said, wiping the spot where the kid's hands once were.

With a slight chuckle, she turned-and had to immediately duck to avoid getting hit by something flying towards her face. Annoyed, she turned to where it came from, and stopped.

There were two things interesting with the picture in front of her. One was the town suddenly ended up ahead, a single dirt road branching away from the town's cobblestone path towards the towering mountains up ahead. This had to be the path to Frostford.

Second was that the road was blocked off. Somehow the mob that was following them had gotten ahead to block their way. The team was now surrounded by a mass of bodies which would require either great persuasion or brute force to push through.

Thankfully, Clary breathed, Erza chose the former.

"We are wizards from Fairy Tail, here on request from the mayor of Frostford to come and investigate the strange occurrences in the town. Please, step aside so we may go on our way." Her voice was loud and clear, ringing out over the circle of people. Murmurs of confusion and protest sounded, though Clary couldn't hear any specific words.

"We can't you through," a man in the front of the pack said, stepping forward to face them. He was a burly man in a two-piece suit, with grayed hair and a thick connoisseur mustache. His watered brown eyes stared at them with sharp intensity. "I am the mayor of this town, so I have seen many wizards pass through here over the course of these past few weeks. I'm sorry but still, as even your group's reputation is known around these parts, we cannot allow any more people to go to that Hell."

"And why is that?" Lucy asked.

The man bowed his head, his hand playing nervously with the opal-stone ring on his hand. "We, as the members of this town, have decided to not allow any more lives to be foolishly lost."

Erza went to say something, but Jace and Natsu were already moving, striding forward to confront him. Alec and Gray followed behind them. Soon, all of them, Simon and Clary included, were moving forward, heading towards Greenwick's mayor.

"Sir, with all due respect, we have duties as wizards and as citizens of Fiore to protect others. With we turn around and walk away from this, then whatever is wreaking havoc in Frostford will eventually spread beyond the mountains and attack other towns, starting with this one here. So, for everyone's protection, you need to let us through," Erza stated, her speech cool and concise, her eyes locked on his.

The mayor held her gaze for several beats. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, waiting to see what would happen. Finally, the man sighed and stepped aside. The citizens, stunned by the mayor's defeat, slowly began to shuffle out of their way, creating a clearing for the group. With a nod of thanks Erza strode forward, the others right behind. Clary could see the look of concern and anxiety on the faces of the townspeople as she passed, as if they were watching them being carted off to the guillotine.

Even as the group made their way down the dirt road towards the towering mountains, with promises to return as soon as the mission was over, Clary couldn't help but feel that maybe that was exactly where they were heading.

X

 **The quest to solving the mystery of Frostford now begins. With the warnings from the townspeople of Greenwick, will the Fairy Tail gang destroy the beast and return from Hell when others before them have never been heard from again? Let me know what you think and any other comments or review that you would like to share. Once again, I am so very sorry for posting late. I will try to let you know in advance if I will not be able to make a post on the actual day instead of leave you waiting and wondering. Til next week, bye bye! :)**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey, guys. This is moonlitraven14. First off, I am like really addicted with this game called Town of Salem. It's like mafia and I love it so much. Let me know if you play it too so we can play a game together. That would be awesome. Secondly, I would like to give another shout out to Whovian4444 for her review. As always, thank you for all of the love and support Enough rambling. Without further ado, here is the newest installment of Shadow Tail! :)**

 **Chapter 9**

It has been hours since the teens had left the town on Greenwick on such a peculiar note. Having begun with excitement and full of chatter, it has now trickled down to nothing more than the occasional comment to keep everyone together and down the same path.

 _It seems that everyone has been thinking about what happened in Greenwick_ , Lucy though, her eyes wandering off into the distance. She could see the expanse of fields and farmlands on one side and thick mangled trees on the other. The mountains ahead have been inching ever so slowly towards them as they walked, the peaks shrouded in dark clouds that threatened rain.

"Hey, Luce. What are you thinking about?" a voice asked from her side. She turned her head slightly to see Natsu watching her with a mix of curiosity and anxiety.

"I'm fine, really. I just hope we get there soon. My feet are _killing_ me," Lucy replied, with wasn't entirely false. The road to Frostford was nothing but a wide strip of dirt and gravel, and rocks somehow kept finding their way into her boots. She would've like to take her boots off to shake out the debris, but they had a schedule to keep and she didn't want to selfishly ask for a break.

"My feet don't," Happy joked, doing laps around their heads while they shouted and tried to bring him down. She heard soft laughter behind her, and turned to see Clary laughing softly behind her hand, her eyes shooting down when she saw she was caught. Lucy just laughed and turned back when she heard a throat clear.

"We're almost there," Erza said.

Curious, Lucy turned to see what was in front of her- and stared.

In front of her was what she could only describe as utter destruction. Dead fields spread all around, crops blighted. She could even see a few animal carcasses dotting the stretch of wilted crops, killed from either lack of food or something. Ahead a sign hung off of its rusted hinges, swinging in the increasing wind. As they walked by it into town, Lucy could see a word written out in chipped paint:

 _Frostford_

The town was in no better state. Once beautiful cobblestone houses were now just piles of rubble. Many buildings were razed to the ground, and several trails of black smoke curled off into the sky. The rumbling storm clouds above added to the eerie atmosphere the wrecked town gave off.

"Wow..." was all they could say as they walked past heaps of stone and glass. Scattered papers flew about with no destination, only adding to the littered streets. The air smelled heavily of smoke and oncoming rain, but Lucy could've sworn she got a whiff of something viler, something rotten.

A soft pulse of red light came from ahead, and she could hear Isabelle audibly gasp. Jace and Alec quickly crowded in, asking her questions so fast and complex it hurt Lucy's brain to try and interpret. Whatever they had asked, Isabelle just shook her head, waving off their concern as if whatever freaked her out momentarily was nothing. The two exchanged a wary glance but back away to keep walking.

"I think the mayor's office is up ahead," Gray called out, pointing in front of them. Lucy could see pass the wreckage and noticed a large building sitting on the other side of the desolated town square; the only building still left standing.

After picking through debris, they found themselves in front of the hall, it's once grand marble and oak stained by fire and ash. Shoving open the rusty doors, the group made their way inside to get their mission.

The halls were lavish, decorated with elegant painting and tapestries, a grand crystal chandelier casting the light down in rays of brilliance. _Why is it that_ , Lucy thought as they made their way towards the mayor's office that _this hall was the only thing that wasn't razed to the ground_?

The group paused in front of a pair of large mahogany doors, rapping on it with the door knocker. "Come in," a voice said, and with a quick look, Erza, Jace, and Gray pushed open the doors to the room beyond.

The office would've been described as beautiful, the perfect definition of a space of power if the town wasn't destroyed. Now, papers and books chocked the floor, almost occupying the whole room. Seated in a leather chair was a very stout man, twitching nervously. Once they approached, Lucy could see his gray hair disheveled, rich bruises painted under his eyes from so many sleepless nights, his suit crumpled, the coat tucked half in and out of his pants.

"Thank you for accepting my request, mages of Fairy Tail," the man said, his eyes casted down, his hands twisting. "I am Coil Reed. I am the mayor of this town."

"Not much of a town left to be mayor of, though," Jace commented, looking out at the destruction beyond the window pane.

" _Jace_ ," Alec hissed, appalled by his _parabatai_ 's behavior.

"He's right, though," Coil said sadly, turning to look outside of the window at the ruins of his town. "Everything was fine until about 3 weeks back, at the time of our evening festival. We didn't even know what happened until it was already upon us. I watched the deaths of many of my fellow townspeople; hard workers just slaughtered in the night. I escaped the destruction around me and made it into my office, where I called desperately for help, but there was no response. Whatever attacked us had taken out all of our communication methods, making it impossible to get a message out. The noticed the men from Greenwick who came to investigate, but I was never able to say a word of caution before they were struck down by the same monsters that attacked days before. I sent out a request to nearby guilds, pleading for help. Many groups and individuals soon followed, seeking fame and the prize I had set. Many were arrogant, some even mocking me and my position, but no one who has come so far has ever return."

With a sigh, he turned back to them, his face pale and eyes watering. "Please, I beg of you. Please say you'll accept the job and rid this once peaceful town of these monsters?"

X

" _Please, I beg of you. Please say you'll accept the job and rid this once peaceful town of these monsters?"_

The words still echoed through Clary's mind as the teens stood outside in the remains of the town square. The clouds had split while they were inside listening to the details of the job, and now Clary stood soaked to the bone in the pouring rain. The others didn't look any better, all of them drenched in soot-laced raindrops.

"Ok," Erza shouted, clapping her hands together, which emitted a wet slapping sound. "I believe we should break off into pairs to investigate the town and surrounding woods. One mage to one New Yorker would be the most fair, don't you think?"

"Hell, yeah! Jace, you won't escape me this time!" Natsu shouted, shooting a finger at the golden boy. As the others laughed about the two being paired together, Clary saw the world burning, flames dancing in her vision and Natsu and Jace shoulder to shoulder to face off some unknown threat.

 _No. That couldn't happen right now, right? It wasn't raining in the dream, so this can't possibly be the dream_. Clary kept arguing to herself, the icy fear rooted in her stomach spreading through her, making her numb. _No, this is too much of a coincidence. I have to make sure they don't pair up_.

"Actually, I think that Natsu and Jace should partner off with someone else," someone said, stealing Clary's thunder. Clary whipped around, her soaked curls flying, to see Lucy staring hard at the two."

Isabelle blinked. "Why don't you believe they should be paired together?"

"Both of them have destructive natures, which aren't needed right now. This is an investigation, not an opportunity for the two of them to have a rematch from their fight a couple of days ago."

"I agree with her," Clary said, striding over to stand by her. "Jace, I know you're itching for a fight, but try to keep it controlled for the time, okay?"

"Great. You're starting to sound like Alec," Jace pouted, receiving a retort from his _parabatai_.

"Alright, then. I'll take Jace. Alec, you can take Natsu," Erza said.

"I call this hunk," Isabelle called, happily curling around Gray's arm before he could protest.

"Fine. Wendy, you and Carla pair up with Simon. And Lucy, you partner up with Clary."

The two girls turned to look at each other, not quite sure what to say about the sudden pairing. But, they only responded with a "Sounds good".

"Alright. Meet back here in 2 hours. If you find something, send a message up immediately requesting assistance."

With that, the pairs split off, each taking off into different directions to find the cause of Frostford's downfall.

X

High above the valley floor, amid the trees and tangled branches of the forest, a lone figure sat. They were wrapped in a full body, purple velvet cloak that made their body almost shapeless, the hood drawn to block the rain that had begun to pour. The figure watched over the town with unattached interest, bored from their post.

The inside of their cloak began to buzz, and the figure drew out a communication lacrima, buzzing from a call. _I really don't want to deal with him right now_ , they sighed before clicking to accept the call.

"How are things on your end?" the lacrima emitted, the gravelly voice from the person on the other side never failing to make them shiver. From what, they didn't know.

The figure huffed, shoving back loose, damp strands of crimson behind their ears in frustration. "Everything's fine. I still don't know why you're making me sit out here when I could clearly use my skills somewhere else."

A grunt came from the other side, low and harsh. "I already explained it to you a million times. You're here to keep a watch over Frostford until the time when we can officially come into town and do what we need to do."

"But we already got the Angel's Stone. Why anything more?"

"We can easily defeat the monster attacking the town. We just to be patient. All of our allies are back to be able to stage the perfect performance. Besides, I do need someone to keep a look out for any obstacles that may get in our way," the voice explained, the cloaked figure only nodding in response.

They pulled up the pair of magic binoculars they had been using this entire time to watch the town from their position on the cliff. Just the same old thing: rubble mounds, twisted metal, a group of strangers standing outside of town hall, litter everywhere-

 _Wait. What_? The figure looked closer, eyes squinting through the lenses to make sure they had seen that correctly. But their eyes were not deceived: a group of ten people and what looked like cats stood outside in the middle of the town square, talking.

"Hey, Master. I found something interesting."

After a moment's pause. "What is it?"

"There is a group of mages in the town. Ten total, all in their teens."

"I'll make sure to send my pets, if that's what you're asking. If you have nothing else to add, I will be leaving now." And with that, the lacrima went dark, the call ended. With a sigh, the figure turned back to watch the group. They seemed to be splitting off into pairs and were walking off into different directions. The figure watched one particular group: both girls, one blond and the other one with red hair like theirs. Their lips quirked up a bit as they watched the duo and stopped. One of them, the redhead, had strange symbols decorating their limbs. The small quirk broke off into wide, fanged grin as they continued to watch them until they disappeared into the thicket below. _These must be the people that Emilia saw a few days ago_.

Standing up, the figure walked to the ledge of the cliff, the rain and wind ripping at the cloak. "Well. Things just got a _lot_ more interesting."

And they jumped.

X

 **The town razed to the ground, the mayor's pleads, and the mysterious figure. With all of these new variables, will the Fairy Tail gang be victorious? Let me know what you think and any other comments or review that you would like to share. Til next week, bye bye! :)**


	11. Chapter 10

**Guess who's back? ;)**

 **Chapter 10**

The rain poured on as the two girls entered the first stretch of trees near the town's entrance. While the canopy of yellowwood and oaks offered some reprieve from the storm, their field of vision was drastically cut, the world turning so dark that one could only see a few yards ahead.

Lucy sighed, pausing to shove the drenched bangs out of her eyes. Rain steadily fell around them through the gaps of the leafy canopy above. How she wished for Horologium to crawl inside of, but the clock spirit's contract forbade assistance on Sundays unless there were dire circumstances. Besides, she was soak already, so all it would do is protect her from the rain that has already done quite a number. Nevertheless, she pushed on, shoving branches aside as she made her way back to where Clary stood, scribbling runes onto her limbs with her stele.

It was fascinating, watching the petite redhead draw on her arms with the same graceful dexterity as Reedus and his brushes. The glow from the stele provided some much needed light, illuminating the Shadowhunter in an almost halo-like glow.

"Ugh!" the girl grunted, not too gently tucking her stele back into her boots. "No matter how many times I try, the Night Vision and Vision runes aren't working. Maybe the rain is nullifying its effect," she mused, biting her thumbnail absentmindedly. "But, for whatever reason, I won't be able to use them for seeing."

She pushed her water-logged curls back, staring at the awning above. "Man, I wish I had my witchlight," she whined.

Lucy blinked. "Witchlight?"

"Oh!" Clary exclaimed, turning to face the blond. "A witchlight is a smooth, gray stone that emits light in the hands of the Nephilim. Jace gave one to me as a gift claiming it will bring light, even among the darkest of shadows." She sighed in defeat, throwing her hands up. "Sadly, that won't do much good right now, since I left it back at the Institute. I didn't think I would need it for the mission we were going on."

The two girls continued forward, careful to pick their way through with what little light they had. Curiosity flooded Lucy's conscious on Clary's comment.

"So. What exactly were you doing before you ended up in Fiore?"

Clary paused briefly, as if weighing something in her mind. Shaking her head a little, she resumed her progress while answering Lucy's question.

"The five of us were tasked with meeting up with a group of Shadowhunters to help clear out a demon nest. I created the Portal that would allow us to teleport there, but instead, we ended up pulling a Wizard of Oz and crash landing in your forest."

Lucy nodded, although she didn't understand the whole analogy part on some wizard named Oz. _Is he some famous wizard there?_

The two girls continued to converse about other odds and ends as they slowly picked their way through the darkness. They spoke about their world, where they came from and how they came to know their friends.

"Seriously!" Lucy shouted at one point, spinning to look at the Shadowhunter. "You only met these guys a couple of months ago? It's almost like you've known each other for years."

Clary rubbed the back of her neck self-consciously. "Yeah. I didn't even know the Shadow World existed until I was pretty much dragged into it. I learned a lot about my past in ways I would've never imagined."

"How so?"

"Well…"

Ten minutes later, Clary had given Lucy a rough rundown of her adventures of Shadowhunting up to that point, including the whole ordeal about her screwed up family tree.

"Man," Lucy said awkwardly after she finished. "I know my father was a little messed up, but yours was downright sadistic." Clary could only nod to that.

Lucy then spent a little bit of time talking about her past life and how she joined Fairy Tail. She even shared some of the crazy journeys she had been on with Team Natsu that caused Clary to burst into laughter. They had just gotten to the Edolas journey when Clary broke her off with a laugh.

"Really? This 'other' Natsu can drive a car and evade police while your Natsu is incapacitated by the slightest motion?"

Lucy chuckled. "That's right. Quite a shock just how different everyone is in the other world. Wendy's doppelganger actually has bigger boobs than her, apparently. Talk about cup jealously, Wendy was pouting about it for a whole week."

"That's horrible, but hilarious at the same time," Clary wheezed out in between laughter. The girls, despite their wet condition, were happy talking about and learning more about their different worlds.

"Yep. Eventually we were able to return home, but with some interesting company in tow," Lucy explained, telling her about Gajeel's new miniature companion and Lisanna returning from the dead. When she mentioned Lisanna, Lucy couldn't help but let some sadness dripped into her words. Hopefully, Clary wouldn't notice.

"What's the problem with Lisanna?" Clary asked, her laughter dying down into a more sincere tone. Apparently she had heard her after all.

"It's nothing really," the celestial wizard responded a little too quickly, trying to backpedal and stop any further questions from being raised. Nonetheless, Clary didn't let down, staring deeply in Lucy's eyes, as if her green orbs could pull the truth right out from their very depths.

Lucy sighed. "Lisanna is an old friend of Natsu, presumed dead for some while. However, after she came back, he had spent quite a bit of time with her. I know they were catching up for lost time and everything, but… I don't know, honestly."

"Ahhh…" Clary realized. "You're jealous that Natsu was spending more attention on her than you."

"No no! Not at all!" Lucy cried out, waving her hand ecstatically and her face flushing red in embarrassment. "Besides, Natsu and I are just best friends, that's all. There's nothing going on between us."

"Hmmm…" Clary considered, turning back towards the blond mage and looking at her with the most serious gaze ever. "Are you really sure about that?"

"Huh?"

"Honestly, it's not good to have these types of thoughts, where the two different sides of your feelings battle it out for dominance and understanding. In my opinion, try to puzzle out how your heart feels, and them go from there." With that, Clary turned back around and marched forward into the dark forest.

 _How my own heart feels? What could she mean by that?_ Lucy wondered as she chased after the receding redhead as to not lose her in the darkness. Some time passed before their surroundings became brighter, the trees finally taking more distinct shapes.

"Could we approaching an exit?" Clary asked.

"Possibly. Let's hurry up," Lucy replied, and the two girls booked it towards the tree line. Once they broke past the last row of trees, they were forced to shield their eyes at the sudden change in lighting. However, when their eyes finally adjusted, they could only stare in horror at the scene unfolding before them.

X

Clary has seen and been involved in a lot since she joined the Shadow World. She fought off vampires in Hotel Dumort, made her way through an army of Forsaken alongside werewolves, had passed by the gruesome slain figures of Silent Brothers on her way to save Jace, saw a little bit of the fight on Valentine's boat before being taken by a winged demon, ran alongside Jace through the burning streets of Alicante on her way to free Simon, and finally witnessed the murder of Jace, Valentine, and Jace's resurrection at the hands of the Angel. To put it in short words, she had seen some shit. However, it still didn't steel her for what was ahead.

A desolate wasteland awaited beyond the tree line, charred and blacken fields stretching as far as the eye could see. Smoke stacks rose up in the distance, adding to the stormy sky a darker shade of grisly black. The girls slowly wandered from their spot at the tree line and into the scorched grounds, looking about in disbelief and the sort of wariness that accompanied dangerous situations.

 _What on Earth could destroy this town so badly?_ Clary mused as she strode further into the soggy wasteland, trying to shield her eyes a little bit to see better in the merciless downpour. Something crunched underfoot and Clary glanced down to see the shattered remains of a femur under her water-logged boots.

"AH!" Clary shouted, stumbling backwards into Lucy, who stared down at the crushed bone. The blond lifted her head, eyes widening as they soaked in their surroundings.

"Oh my god…" she whispered, the words coming out shakily.

Clary, finally ripping her own eyes from the bone, looked up to see what made Lucy so afraid. To her horror, bones and skulls littered the ground where they had not been a moment before, entire skeletons scattered about among the razed field. The rain seemed to pour even more heavily, as if trying desperately to hide the gruesome sight behind a curtain of stinging cold water.

Snapping back into Shadowhunter mode, Clary kneeled into the muddy earth and examined the bones closest to her. The few around her seemed as though they had been there a while, blackened, muddy, and covered in soot. _They probably have been here since the first night of the attacks_ , Clary figured, shifting over to see the others. Lucy catching wind of her actions, began to examine the bones as well, looking for any oddities or inconsistencies. Turned out, majority of the surrounding bones were in a similar state.

"What does this mean?" Lucy asked, setting back down a collection of sooty ribs.

Clary shoved her wet curls out of her face to look at Lucy. The girl was soaked to the bone, her cloths covered in mud, dead grass, and soot. Still, her brown orbs stayed level with Clary's gaze, asking the question Clary wanted to know herself.

"I'm not positive, but maybe the townspeople tried to escape through the fields. Maybe cutting their way towards the mountains to escape whatever was attacking them."

However, as they moved deeper into the wasteland, some of the bones didn't seem as old as the others. In fact, many of them were still fresh, only stained slightly by the recent weather.

 _These are probably the wizards before us. But why are the bones fresh? If they had died recently, wouldn't we have found bodies instead of skeletons?_ All of these and more floated in Clary's mind, with no real answers in sight. One thing was for sure though: whatever attacked this town is not natural. _We need to regroup and come up with a new plan. I have a bad feeling about –_

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" a scream pierced from behind her, high and desperate. Clary whirled around, a seraph blade already in hand to fight off what had attacked their small search party. She froze at the sight, her veins running as cold as the icy rain flooding down.

Lucy was pinned on the ground, her head thrashing wildly and her body bucking violently in an attempt to get the creature that had her restrained off. The creature itself was a giant worm, with tiny beady black eyes and row upon row of razor-sharp teeth. It was trying to get a good grip on the pinned wizard, but was so far unsuccessful for Lucy was using her whip as a barrier between the two. The worm let out a high-pitched wail, causing Clary to slam her hands over her ears to block out the sound.

Clary dashed forward, slicing the worm in half, black fluid gushing out from the wound. This gave Lucy the chance to slip out from under, scrambling to feet and grabbing her keys ready to take on the next creature that attacks.

Almost from nowhere, more of those worms began to slide out, making their way towards where Clary and Lucy stood with weapons raised. They crawled along the charred earth, an unnatural sound rising into the air, almost like a high-pitched growling. The girls prepared for an attack, but their eyes widened in surprise when the worms began to form together, growing in size and height. Clary remembered what the mayor told them back in the town hall, begging them to rid the town of these "monsters." Yet, as Clary watched the giant forms of hundreds of worms writhing and making their way towards the two teens, she realized that they weren't monsters.

They were demons.

 **Been forever, huh? I'll try to get better at posting, so no more year-long breaks. Thank you to everyone who has still read, favorite, and followed over that long period of time. It makes me happy to see people still like my story despite my inconsistent posting. So, the story is back with an interesting twist. What will happen next time? Also, what do you guys think about possibly bringing in another perspective? I'm thinking of having another point of view for maybe the next few chapters, so let me know what you think. Anyway, enough rambling. Thank you for all the support and I'll see you next time! :D**


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